Inquiry after sick child trapped in Dublin ambulance

A Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance was stranded with a sick child locked on board for some 40 minutes after it broke down while while on its way to hospital earlier this week.

The incident occurred at around 2pm on St Patrick’s Day on the Tonlegee Road in Raheny as the child was being taken to Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

A spokeswoman for the Dublin Fire Brigade said the service is taking the incident “very seriously” and added that an investigation has been started to determine the cause of the fault.

“This includes making an enquiry with the manufacturer of the ambulance to identify what might have caused the ambulance to break down, and to safeguard against the potential for a similar incident taking place again in another ambulance of that make,” the spokeswoman said.

The vehicle in question had two paramedics on board, one of whom was the driver while the other was accompanying the sick child. One member of the child’s family was also on board.

While the ambulance is fitted with an emergency exit there is no access from the cabin to the rear of the vehicle. A unit of Dublin Fire Brigade attended the scene after the ambulance crew was unable to open the rear door. It is understood the paramedic who was with the child eventually helped free the occupants after about 40 minutes by breaking a window.

Dublin Fire Brigade said the patient was subsequently transferred safely to hospital. The service said the incident will be “investigated thoroughly with the objective of preventing a recurrence.”