BUSY WEEKEND AND START TO THE NEW YEAR FOR RESCUE CHOPPER
January 9, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BUSY WEEKEND AND START TO THE NEW YEAR FOR RESCUE CHOPPER
RACQ CQ Rescue has completed an incredible eight missions in just two days, flying more than 2300km across the region. The busy weekend brings the total number of missions completed in the first nine days of the New Year to 18.
Two patients suffered life-threatening lacerations and blood loss in two serious accidents involving an angle grinder and a filleting knife late yesterday.
RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked about 6pm to meet Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics on the oval at Carmila, about 80km south of Mackay, after a 68-year-old man suffered serious gashes to his hand and jaw while working with an angle grinder.
It was an incredibly lucky escape from what could have been a potentially life-threatening injury as the patient reported he was using a circular saw blade on an angle grinder to cut wood. The tool ‘kicked back’ slicing both his hand and jaw, narrowly missing his neck. He was treated, administered pain relief and transported to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition.
At 10pm last night, the rescue chopper was tasked to Hamilton Island, about 90km north of Mackay, to airlift a 60-year-old man who had lacerated his left thumb while filleting fish. He sliced a chunk of flesh from the webbing of his hand between the thumb and forefinger and told the medical team had no feeling in his hand. He was flown to Mackay arriving in a stable condition at midnight.
Earlier on Sunday, the Mackay-based chopper flew 270km to the new Pembroke mine site Olive Downs, 40km south-east of Moranbah, to airlift a 51-year-old Sunshine Coast man.
The contractor suffered a cardiac issue and required urgent hospital treatment in Mackay.
RACQ CQ Rescue also flew more than 1100km on Saturday on four missions across the region including two primary tasks
Saturday’s day shift started with two back-to-back missions to treat and transfer two teenagers injured at popular local holidays spots. RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked just after 9.30am by Queensland Health to assist a 16-year-old girl who had dislocated her knee at the bottom of a walking track at Cape Hillsborough.
The teen, from Rural View, was stranded on the beach with the tide coming in quickly. Walking back up the track or along the rocky shoreline was impossible.
After a 000 call, the Mackay-based chopper was dispatched with a doctor and critical care paramedic on board to fly 45km north to the popular national park and camping area. The chopper orbited the shoreline near Wedge Island several times before the decision was made to winch down a paramedic and rescue crewman onto the beach to secure the patient into a rescue harness.
The teenager was then winched up into the helicopter and flown directly to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition.
Directly upon return to base about 11am, the helicopter crew was again tasked, this time offshore to Keswick Island, 30km east of Mackay, after reports a swimmer had suffered a suspected Irukandji jellyfish sting.
The helicopter landed in the rain at the island airfield, near Basil Bay, and the 13-year-old, believed to be on holidays from Biggera Waters, was treated with pain relief and flown to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition. The teen was accompanied by her parent.
About 1.45pm Saturday, the helicopter flew to Collinsville to airlift a man with a serious cardiac condition and also later transported a patient from Clermont to Mackay Base Hospital who suffered injury from a fall from height while he was removing Christmas decorations at his home.
RACQ CQ Rescue completed 638 missions in 2022, which is the second busiest year on record for the Mackay rescue helicopter service.
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RACQ CQ Rescue flew eight missions this weekend including retrieving patients from Keswick Island, Cape Hillsborough, Carmila and Olive Downs, bringing the total number of tasks already completed for 2023 to 18.
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