Man winched from bulk carrier 200 km offshore

RACQ CQ Rescue of Australia winched a critically ill man from a bulk carrier 200 km (125 miles) offshore on 1 April and transferred him to a hospital in Mackay and then again to Townsville.

The 59-year-old Filipino, a crewman onboard the MV Ultimax which departed Japan on 20 March, had suffered a suspected stroke about two days previously. The flight was delayed to enable the vessel, which was headed to Portland, Victoria, and about halfway through its journey, to be within reach of the rescue helicopter.

With a doctor, rescue crewman and intensive care paramedic onboard, the helicopter flew for two hours, leaving base at 08:30 hrs and refuelling at Hamilton Island before meeting the bulk carrier near Blossom Banks on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef at 10:30 hrs.

An RACQ CQ Rescue spokesperson said that as the helicopter hovered overhead, the paramedic was winched down onto the deck of the MV Ultimax, which carries woodchips between Victoria and Japan. The helicopter then circled the area as the paramedic stabilised the patient and prepared him for transfer. The helicopter hovered over the bulk carrier again as the paramedic and patient were winched up into the helicopter. The air rescue service described the winch operation as routine, saying it was completed as planned within 25 minutes.

Although a carefully planned mission, RACQ CQ Rescue noted that it was a considerable distance for the aircraft to travel over water, and given the time it took to winch the patient, the helicopter could not have flown much further offshore. A Cairns-based Dornier plane, Rescue 441, provided top cover and assistance with relaying messages between the rescue helicopter and bulk carrier during the winching operation and the journey from Hamilton Island to Blossom Banks, the spokesperson said.

On the return flight, the rescue helicopter again refuelled at Hamilton Island before transferring the patient to Mackay Base Hospital arriving about 14:00 hrs. RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked again about 15:00 hrs to transfer the same patient, who was transferred to the helicopter hangar by ground ambulance, to Townsville General Hospital for further specialist care.