Around 100 motorbike enthusiasts were left disappointed after the highly anticipated Gascoyne Dash, an off-road desert race in regional Western Australia, was canceled at the last minute.
Organizers of the event, held annually near Carnarvon, about 900 kilometers north of Perth, made the decision to cancel the race after the local hospital reached full capacity. The event, which typically features both motorcycle and car races over three days, was expected to draw large crowds and competitors.
Despite the cancellation for the motorcycle race, 22 cars were permitted to participate in the Sunday afternoon program after several hours of uncertainty. Thankfully, no one from the car event needed hospital treatment.
The decision to cancel the race came as a surprise to many, including Riley Fletcher, a 21-year-old who had traveled from Perth to compete. Fletcher said, “It was disappointing, but there was nothing the event organizers could do. It takes a lot of time, money, and effort to get the bikes ready to race, and now we’ll have to wait until October for the next desert race.”
Caroline O’Meagher, whose sons were set to compete in the motorcycle race, expressed her anger over the cancellation. “People might start asking if it’s worth risking all that money if the same thing happens next year,” she said.
Event director Ben Broeder acknowledged the disappointment of the cancellation, calling it a “big blow” for both organizers and the committee. He explained that while the event had its own medical team, including paramedics and helicopters, the local hospital simply didn’t have the capacity to handle additional patients. “The risk for the event is if we can’t forward those patients to a hospital for further care, we can’t guarantee their safety,” Broeder said.
Seven competitors were treated in the emergency department on Saturday, a number that Broeder said was typical for events of this scale. However, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) officials clarified that the event organizers had not made any requests to cancel the race. A spokesperson for WACHS confirmed that the local hospital was fully staffed, but that 12 additional casualties from the event were admitted over a five-hour period, straining hospital resources.
The WACHS spokesperson stated, “Any decision to cancel or alter the program of the Gascoyne Dash event was not made or recommended by WACHS.”
Western Australia’s Premier Roger Cook supported the claims made by WACHS, stating that the influx of casualties from the event put pressure on the local health services. “We don’t want these injuries to put local health services or other services under pressure,” Cook said. “But no request was made by WACHS to cancel the event.”
WA Police were also involved, assisting WACHS in a support capacity. However, the police said the decision to cancel the race was not a police matter. When asked about police contact with WorkSafe WA to shut down the event, WA Police Minister Reece Whitby stated he had not been briefed on the situation but emphasized that the local hospital “responded appropriately.”
Mid-West MP Shane Love called for an investigation into why the hospital could not handle the patients. “We need to get to the bottom of it, because we want events like the Gascoyne Dash to continue in the future,” Love said. “They’re vital for the region.”
The cancellation of the Gascoyne Dash raises questions about event planning and communication with local health services, and organizers will need to review measures for future events to prevent similar disruptions.
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