15 Year Old Critical After Hunting Accident

By Michael Gibson | 27 August 2018

A 15-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being shot in the back in what appears to be a tragic hunting accident.

The teenager was shot at a property on Ilford-Sofala Road at Sofala, more than 230km north-west of Sydney, about 9.30am on Sunday.

Emergency services were called to the rural property at around 9am on Sunday morning, where it is alleged an unattended firearm discharged in the back of a ute after hitting something.

The wounded victim was first driven by four-wheel drive to meet an ambulance which met up with a second specialist ambulance team 10 kilometres away.

“He was then treated in that ambulance by paramedics and driven to Bathurst,” NSW Ambulance Parkes’ Inspector Peter Rolands said.

The boy was intubated, put on life support and into an induced coma as he was carefully moved into a helicopter at Bathurst Airport.

The teenager was then flown more than 200 kilometres by air ambulance to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney’s northwest.

His family then drove three-and-a-half hours to be with him at the hospital.

His current condition is still unknown.

The Orana-Mid Western Police District is investigating the incident, but note it appears to have been an accident.