LifeFlight Australia supports flood rescue in NSW

LifeFlight NSW flooding

Courtesy LifeFlight Australia

The provider’s Land Rover LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter rescued 19 people (and a dog) from floods in Lismore and Coraki on Monday 28 February

The Land Rover LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter crew has announced that it rescued 19 people and a dog on Monday 28 February in northern New South Wales (NSW), as the region continues to be inundated with flooding.

The Land Rover LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter, a Leonardo AW139, is usually based in Queensland, but was transferred to Ballina, NSW, after it was tasked by the state’s State Emergency Service to support their response to the flooding emergency, which has primarily affected the Lismore and Coraki areas.

Notable incidents included the rescue of:

  • A pregnant woman
  • Three adults and a dog
  • Three adults and two children
  • A family of seven.

LifeFlight Paramedic and Rescue Crew Officer Brad Solomon said: “Overall, the devastation at Lismore is overwhelming – that cannot be emphasised enough. Today has probably been the most harrowing I’ve come across since the 2011 Queensland floods.”

The helicopter previously provided similar flood rescue support in northern NSW in March 2021, just months after its unveiling in December 2020.