A 17-year-old boy is fighting for his life after falling from a moving train while allegedly train surfing across Sydney Harbour Bridge. Emergency services were called at around 11.30am on Thursday after reports that someone had fallen from a northbound train onto the tracks near Milsons Point station in Australia.
Critical Condition After Fall
The teenager was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition, where he was placed in an induced coma. An NSW Ambulance spokesperson said he had suffered serious injuries to his head, chest and pelvis.
Footage appears to show two teenagers clinging to the outside of the moving train as it travelled across the bridge. Police have launched an investigation, with two other people assisting officers with their inquiries.
Police Investigation and Warnings
Transport Command Inspector Luke Barrett said initial investigations, including CCTV footage and witness accounts, suggested the teenager had been taking part in an activity known as 'buffer riding'. He urged anyone considering train surfing not to be influenced by videos shared on social media.
'This is highly dangerous. It carries an extreme level of risk and the consequences, should something go wrong, can result in very serious injuries or possible death,' he continued.
Acting Sydney Trains chief executive Jas Tumbler described the incident as 'really tragic' and sent his condolences to the teenager's family. 'You just don't mess or play with a 400-tonne train; there will always be significant consequences and these are life-changing events that occur,' he told The Guardian.
Rescue and Service Disruption
Paramedics are understood to have carried the boy around 400 metres along a railway corridor before transferring him to a road ambulance, which took him to hospital.
The incident also caused major disruption to services on the T1 North Shore line, with trains suspended in both directions between Wynyard and Milsons Point for more than an hour. Services later resumed but initially faced delays of more than 40 minutes, with commuters urged to use the Metro or make alternative travel arrangements.
Anyone with information about the incident is being asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
