Inquest into the death of Lachlan Cairns

47y · Male·The evidence does not allow a finding as to the cause of death

A 47-year-old man died in bushland after his vehicle became bogged on an unsealed road. He called triple zero at 3:36am reporting he was stuck and unable to dig out. Police contacted him and arranged for his cousin to assist. The man later told his cousin he was being 'chased' and seeing 'red lights', suggesting possible mental disturbance or drug-induced paranoia (he had a history of ICE use and prior psychiatric symptoms). Rather than walking towards the nearby sealed road, he walked into dense bushland in the opposite direction. His remains were found 10 months later 1.5km away with evidence of a spinal fracture. The coroner found police appropriately assessed the situation as non-life-threatening and properly offered assistance. No medical negligence or system failures were identified. The death appears attributable to his impaired mental state and disorientation in unfamiliar terrain.