Wait for treatment led to woman's fatal crane fall: Coroner

A coroner has found that an Ipswich woman's death could have been prevented if certain hospital procedures had been implemented. Photo: Joseph Feil

A young mother who, in the midst of a psychotic state fell to her death from an Ipswich crane, could still be alive if the warning signs had been recognised and treated, a coroner has found.

Mother-of-two Melina Maree Cuttler died in February 2013 after she fell from a crane she had climbed near Ipswich Hospital.

A sister and a friend had accompanied Ms Cuttler, 29, to the hospital's emergency department about 1pm.

By 3pm, a nurse had assessed Ms Cuttler as "almost certainly psychotic" and requested an evaluation by a psychiatric registrar, an evaluation that never took place.

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"At one point, Melina and her sister had waited outside the ED building while the friend remained in the ED waiting for them to be attended to," deputy state coroner John Lock said.

"At some time shortly before 4.40pm, Melina's sister left briefly to return to the waiting room to ask for help from ED staff due to concerns about Melina's behaviour.

"When she returned, Melina was not present."

Ms Cuttler had crossed the road, entered a fenced-off construction site, stripped naked and started climbing the crane.

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Wait for treatment led to woman's fatal crane fall: Coroner