Bus Crash Survivors Share Their Story

Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort (left) and Officer in Charge of Ayr Police Station Senior Sergeant Lisa Shields (right) with survivors following the tragic bus rollover near Gumlu. Photo: Jacob Casha

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A bus crash in Gumlu, north of Bowen last week, has made national news after the incident tragically took the life of one of the passengers.  

Emergency Services were called to the Bruce Highway north of Bowen just before 4pm on May 14^th after the southbound flexibus travelling from Cairns to Airlie Beach left the roadway and rolled onto its side. Passengers were transported to hospitals across Townsville, Ayr and Bowen.  

According to passengers, the bus driver had warned everyone that the bus was ‘not the best one’, before the departure. A bus crash occurred on the same stretch of highway two years ago, claiming three lives.  

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Tragedy On Bruce Highway As Bus Rolls Near Gumlu

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A young overseas tourist has died and dozens of passengers were left shaken after a bus crash near Gumlu last Thursday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the Bruce Highway north of Bowen just before 4pm on 14^th May, after a southbound FlixBus travelling from Cairns to Airlie Beach left the roadway and rolled onto its side.

The bus was carrying 29 people at the time of the crash. The driver, a 70-year-old Mackay man, was taken to Bowen Hospital with minor injuries.

Police confirmed 26-year-old Serena Andreatta, a dual Argentinian and Italian national, died at the scene.

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Several other passengers sustained injuries and were transported to hospitals in Townsville, Ayr and Bowen for treatment.

One passenger who survived the crash told Life Publishing they became concerned about the bus’s movements in the hours before the rollover.

“I did not feel so safe,” the passenger said, claiming the bus appeared to be “swerving” at times.

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The passenger said the concern prompted them to fasten their seatbelt.

They then recalled the bus striking a barrier before rolling, describing chaotic scenes inside the vehicle as passengers and belongings were thrown around the cabin.

Following the crash, passengers were cared for in Ayr overnight before continuing their journey south on another bus.

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Burdekin Shire Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort attended to check on passengers and assisted in sourcing medication for those affected. Passengers lauded the response efforts of Burdekin Shire Council, Ayr Police, and the wider community.

The Queensland Police Forensic Crash Unit is continuing to investigate the incident.

The incident occurred on the same stretch of highway where a fatal Greyhound bus crash in 2024 claimed three lives.

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Superintendent Dean Cavanagh described the crash scene as “very confronting” and praised emergency crews for their rapid response.

“This was a very complex incident, it was a very serious incident, and it was in an isolated area,” he said.

“Although we tragically lost a life, I believe that effort that we saw absolutely went into saving many [more].”

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Whitsunday Mayor Ry Collins issued support, thanking the emergency service providers who promptly responded.

“My thoughts are with those involved, their family and loved ones, and the first responders, including our council traffic crews who worked through a very serious incident.”

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Premier David Crisafulli described the incident as a tragedy, expressing condolences for the woman who died and noting multiple patients were still fighting for life in hospital.

He declined to speculate the cause of the crash, but reiterated his commitment to improving safety on the Bruce Highway.

“It’s a road that means everything to the state, and it’s a road that’s a long way short of where it should be.”

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