A man in his 50s was taken to hospital in a serious condition after collapsing on a beach at Palm Beach following a row from a moored boat.
Incident At Sandy Beach Cove, Palm Beach
NSW Ambulance responded shortly before 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 3 February, after reports a man had collapsed after rowing ashore at Sandy Beach Cove, Palm Beach.
The man was understood to have been on a boat moored off Sandy Beach near Iluka Road. After feeling unwell due to a medical condition, he rowed to shore before collapsing on the sand.
Initial information indicated that ambulance access to the beach location could present challenges.
4WD Ambulance Access Arranged
At the time of the Palm Beach emergency, ambulance crews were attending a separate helicopter rescue at Barrenjoey Headland. A supervisor in a four-wheel-drive ambulance was tasked to assess the situation, alongside a crew arriving from Avalon Ambulance Station.
A resident of an adjacent waterfront property assisted paramedics by allowing the 4WD ambulance to pass through their yard to reach the patient.
Paramedics assessed the man and determined his condition was serious and deteriorating.
CareFlight Tasked And Transfer To Hospital
An intensive care crew was diverted to the scene and a critical care medical team was requested to assist during transport.
With the Toll NSW Ambulance Rescue Helicopter occupied at the time, the CareFlight Rescue Helicopter was tasked to respond. It landed at Careel Bay playing fields shortly after 3:00 p.m.
Ambulance crews moved the man off the beach using the 4WD ambulance and transferred him into an intensive care ambulance before transporting him to Careel Bay. The CareFlight aeromedical team joined for the trip to hospital.
The man was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious condition under police escort with a green-light corridor just after 3:20 p.m.
Concurrent Rescue Underway
During the Palm Beach emergency response, crews were also managing a helicopter rescue at Barrenjoey Headland, requiring coordination across multiple emergency resources.
The man remained in a serious condition when transported from the Palm Beach scene.
Published 5-Feb-2026
