A man has been hospitalised following an incident where he covered himself in petrol at the Mona Vale area.
Around 12:45 pm on Friday, 12 January, emergency crews were called to the BP gas station on Pittwater Road, Mona Vale, close to Vineyard Street, after reports of a man pouring fuel on himself.
A bystander, who arrived to fill up her car during the incident, informed the Northern Beaches Advocate that she saw three police officers at the scene. Two approached the man while the third went inside, likely to ask the station attendant to stop the fuel pumps.
The officers quickly subdued the man, taking away a container he was holding and restraining him. They urged others who were refuelling to evacuate the area and also asked the witness to leave, which she complied with.
The 33-year-old man, who was found with a lighter and had soaked himself in approximately two litres of E10 petrol, was apprehended by officers from the Northern Beaches Police Area Command. The witness commended the officers for their courage.
The man was detained at the service station’s southern entrance and appeared distressed. As more emergency teams, including NSW Ambulance and Fire and Rescue NSW Mona Vale Station, arrived, the area around the station was sealed off.
After the man was secured and posed no danger to himself or others, Intensive Care Paramedics examined him. His petrol-drenched clothes were removed, and firefighters washed him to decontaminate his skin.
During this time, he continued to make threats of self-harm. He was subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act 2007, restrained, and transported by NSW Ambulance to Northern Beaches Hospital for mental health evaluation.
Following the resolution of the incident, the area was not declared a crime scene, and the service station resumed service to customers shortly after 1:30 pm.
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