Deceased
Michael Joyce
Demographics
28y, male
Date of death
2017-03-12
Finding date
2018-10-24
Cause of death
Multiple injuries sustained from fall from cliff
AI-generated summary
Michael Joyce, 28, died after stumbling and falling from a cliff at Dunningham Reserve, Coogee while experiencing mental disturbance. He had a history of insomnia-related mental health issues (previous psychosis, hospitalisations) and had experienced a relapse in the weeks before his death with reported sleep medication becoming ineffective. He called emergency services stating he was 'feeling a little insane' at 13:17. Ambulance units were delayed by higher priority calls (breathing difficulties). Police responded rapidly with three units arriving within minutes. Officers appropriately maintained distance, did not escalate use of force, and called for specialist resources. Witnesses described him as visibly distressed, unsteady, and appearing to stumble rather than deliberately jump. The coroner found all responders acted appropriately and professionally. The death was not preventable given the rapid deterioration, brief engagement time, and mental health emergency context.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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