RESCUERS CLOCK UP NINE MISSIONS ACROSS REGION OVER WEEKEND
June 13, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RESCUERS CLOCK UP NINE MISSIONS ACROSS REGION OVER WEEKEND
RACQ CQ Rescue has flown nine missions this weekend including a marathon task to airlift a tourist with serious head injuries after a golf buggy accident on Hamilton Island and a worker crushed by a one-tonne hay bale on a cattle property.
The Mackay-based rescue helicopter has flown to Hamilton Island three times since Friday to transfer patients as well as two visits to Townsville hospital, one to Charters Towers to transfer a patient and another very early morning task today to the Bravus Camp 6 site, about 300km west of Mackay.
The service was tasked at midnight on Saturday after a 30-year-old Townsville tourist smashed his head on a bitumen road after falling from a moving golf buggy. The injured man required urgent medical evacuation to Townsville. It took over eight hours and the helicopter flying more than 700km with a doctor and critical care paramedic on board, to retrieve the seriously injured patient and fly him to Townsville University Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
RACQ CQ Rescue was also tasked by Queensland Health to airlift a cardiac patient from Hamilton Island on Saturday afternoon as well as another patient with a serious medical condition on Friday afternoon at 2pm. Both were flown from the island to Mackay Base Hospital.
On Saturday a 52-year-old worker was airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital from a cattle property about 160km west of Mackay after he was crushed by a one-tonne hay bale.
RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked by Queensland Health about 9am to land on the cattle property over the Eungella Range to administer pain relief and stabilise the injured farm worker who suffered a broken pelvis and crush injuries when the hay bale fell on him.
On Thursday, a patient was also airlifted from a cattle property at Lotus Creek with a serious shoulder injury after falling from a horse while mustering cattle.
On another mission, whilst transferring a patient from Bowen hospital to Townsville on Thursday, the Mackay-based rescue helicopter was tasked to fly 136km south-west of Townsville to retrieve a Charters Towers patient. The patient was flown back to Townsville hospital before the rescue helicopter and crew returned to Mackay.
Other taskings this weekend included missions to Collinsville and Bowen and a 3am mission today to fly to Bravus Camp 6, 300km west of Mackay, to airlift a patient with a serious respiratory condition.
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RACQ CQ Rescue has flown nine missions across the region this weekend including the airlift of a seriously injured person from Hamilton Island after a golf buggy accident and a worker crushed by a one tonne hay bale west of Mackay).
Please credit any released photos and video footage to RACQ CQ Rescue.
Please note: Full title of rescue service is RACQ CQ Rescue.
For further information please contact:
Naomi Noy
RACQ CQ Rescue
Ph: 0417 578 182