The woman was home alone inside her Queenstown property when she was unable to get through to triple zero during a medical episode on Thursday.
Share and Follow

The family of a 68-year-old Adelaide woman who died during the widespread Optus outage on Thursday only realised their loved one was a victim this morning.

The woman was home alone inside her Queenstown property when she had a medical emergency and was unable to get through to Triple Zero on Thursday.

Paramedics and police eventually arrived at the home but the woman could not be saved.

The woman was home alone inside her Queenstown property when she was unable to get through to triple zero during a medical episode on Thursday.
The woman was home alone inside her Queenstown property when she was unable to get through to Triple Zero during a medical episode on Thursday. (9News)

She is one of four people who died during the outage after the fault also led to the deaths of an eight-week-old boy from Gawler West in Adelaide, a 74-year-old man from Willetton in Perth and a 49-year-old man from Kensington in Perth.

The family of the 68-year-old woman said the telecommunications giant has not reached out to them personally.

“On behalf of our family we mourn the loss of our wife/sister, we hope that authorities are able to investigate the terrible circumstances so other families don’t experience a tragedy like this,” they said in a statement.

An ambulance eventually arrived at the home in Gawler West.
An ambulance eventually arrived at the home in Gawler West. (9News)

“We are saddened to hear of the loss of the young child and our hearts go out to the family and others that have been impacted by this event.”

The family told 9News while are currently focused on supporting one another in their grief, they intend to seek answers in time.

The parents of the newborn baby who died during the outage tried to call Triple Zero but their calls wouldn’t connect.

The news has devastated residents of the Gawler West community.

“I just couldn’t believe it, I’ve got kids and I couldn’t imagine that,” neighbour Tasha Delaine said.

The family’s call eventually got through and several ambulances were dispatched to the home at 5.20am on Thursday morning to reports of a cardiac arrest.

Paramedics called specialised medical back-up but the infant was unable to be saved.

Adelaide resident Chris Tyndall received a follow-up call after he spent Thursday morning repeatedly tried calling for an ambulance with two phones.
Adelaide resident Chris Tyndall received a follow-up call after he spent Thursday morning repeatedly trying to call an ambulance with two phones. (9News)

Since the tragedies, South Australian police have conducted welfare checks on more than 150 callers in the state.

Adelaide resident Chris Tyndall received a follow-up call after he spent Thursday morning repeatedly trying to call for an ambulance with two phones.

The 70-year-old, who lives with heart disease and diabetes, had spent a week in bed with the flu.

“I was struggling,” Tyndall said.

“When they got here, I went to open the door and nearly fell, that’s when she knew something was dreadfully wrong.

“She took my blood pressure standing up and it dropped dramatically.

“She said that could cause a stroke.”

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas blasted the Optus CEO and the telco’s handling of the situation, claiming neither he nor the state’s emergency services were given any information about the two deaths in their state.

“South Australian police didn’t know. No one in SAS or ambulance service knew; my office didn’t know. But then they conducted a press conference,” said Malinauskas.

“I have not witnessed such incompetence from an Australian corporation in respect to communications worse than this.”

Western Australia’s Premier, Roger Cook, also spoke out against the telco, deeming the outage “completely unacceptable”.

Optus said a botched firewall upgrade was to blame for the failure of Triple Zero calls.

The outage stretched on for 13 hours and impacted about 600 emergency services calls across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Two complaints have since been raised with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Unveiling the Silent Terror: Park Chan-wook’s Latest Masterpiece on Workplace Horror

Every day, we make choices. Cereal or eggs for breakfast. Whether to…
Staggering backdown as pro-Palestine writer is suddenly invited BACK to Writers' Festival and gets a grovelling apology after ABC stars revolted

Pro-Palestine Writer Reinstated at Writers’ Festival After ABC Stars’ Protest Leads to Public Apology

<!– In the world of digital analytics, SiteCatalyst has long been a…
NSW set for drenching after dry spell to begin 2026

Heavy Rainfall Predicted for NSW After Prolonged Dry Period in 2026

Large parts of NSW will be hit by a prolonged period of…
Determined woman reviewing job opportunities online

Why a Significant Number of Australians Are Choosing Job Stability Over Change This Year

The “Great Resignation” era is coming to an end and workers are…
Construction crane collapse Thailand

Thailand Faces Back-to-Back Construction Catastrophes: Rail Tragedy Claims 32 Lives, Followed by New Disaster

The tragic incident on Thursday still awaits official confirmation regarding casualties. However,…

Discover Where the Australian Passport Stands in Latest Global Rankings

The world’s most powerful passports have been revealed in new rankings, showing…

Greenland Talks with US End in Stalemate, Danish Minister Reports

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Wednesday emerged from White House…
BTS attend Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2020 on December 31, 2019 in New York City.

K-pop Phenomenon BTS Set to Perform in Australia: Here’s Why It Matters

BTS is making their way to Australia, and while the name might…