Australian Student Dies After Seven-Hour Ambulance Delay in Caffeine Overdose

Christina Lackmann, a 32-year-old biomedical student in Melbourne, died from a caffeine overdose after waiting over seven hours for an ambulance following her emergency call. She initially reported dizziness and numbness but was classified as non-urgent by emergency services, delaying her care despite repeated attempts to contact her. Paramedics found her deceased in her apartment, with toxicology confirming dangerously high caffeine levels linked to a recent order of caffeine tablets. Coroner Catherine Fitzgerald ruled that the ambulance delay was unacceptable and that earlier treatment might have saved her life, highlighting errors in the emergency response and triage process. Although it was unclear whether Lackmann intended to take her own life, the case underscores the risks of caffeine overdose and the critical need for timely medical intervention. The tragedy also reflects issues in emergency system prioritization and communication that contributed to the fatal outcome.