Paramedics driving dying woman to hospital fulfill her final wish by visiting ocean one last time

Paramedics driving a dying woman to hospital fulfilled her final wish by taking a detour to visit the ocean one last time.

The Queensland Ambulance Service shared an image of Graeme Cooper alongside a woman in a hospital bed overlooking the sea at Hervey Bay in Australia.

Danielle Kellum, Mr Cooper’s colleague and the paramedic who took the photo, told reporters the patient had said she was “at peace” as she looked out over the water.

Mr Cooper said they had originally taken the woman to the ocean during a trip home from hospital to see out her final days with her husband.

But on her "last journey" back into palliative care "where she was going to basically pass away", they took her again.

“We popped her up on the hill where she could see the pier and Fraser Island and right through to Point Burrum and she was ecstatic with it all,” Mr Cooper said.

“I thought if all these rocks weren’t here I’d get down into my jocks and take you into the ocean, and I would have, however I thought the next best thing was I can get some ocean and bring it to her.

“She actually tasted the salt water.”

The paramedic told Daily Mail Australia it was "special, dealing with someone whose journey is coming to an end".

“It's a powerful, moving, connecting moment," he added. "I can't describe how it happens, it's priceless.”

A spokesperson for QAS said in a post on Facebook the patient “just wished that she could be at the beach again”.

“Above and beyond, the crew took a small diversion to the awesome beach at Hervey Bay to give the patient this opportunity – tears were shed and the patient felt very happy,” she said.

“Sometimes it is not the drugs/training/skills – sometimes all you need is empathy to make a difference!”

The image was posted on 22 November by QAS and has since gone viral, having been shared more than 11,000 times in a matter of hours.