Motorbike accident prompts evacuation
On 18 February, the RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service was tasked to Foreshores to attend to a 47-year-old male patient who had fallen from his motorbike...
On 18 February, the RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service was tasked to Foreshores to attend to a 47-year-old male patient who had fallen from his motorbike during a motocross racing event. The patient was hit by another three motorbikes who unfortunately could not avoid him. The patient suffered possible spinal injuries, rib fractures, scapula fracture and abdominal injuries.
On arrival the patient was stabilised by the on board Doctor and Critical Care Paramedic before being transferred in a stable condition to Rockhampton Hospital for further treatment.
Meanwhile, Mackay-based RACQ CQ Rescue flew more than 1,100km completing four missions across the region during the weekend of 17 February. The rescue helicopter service received a call about 08.45 hrs on Saturday that a 41-year-old man on board the fishing trawler ‘Vision’ had suffered a serious cut to his right hand the previous day and now required urgent medical evacuation to hospital. RACQ CQ Rescue, with a Critical Care Paramedic and Rescue Crewman on board, departed base at 09:00 hrs heading 150km offshore to rendezvous with the 14-metre trawler near Hydrographers Passage. Upon making radio contact with the vessel on approach, RACQ CQ Rescue then hovered overhead as the rescue crewman was winched down onto the deck of the stationary fishing trawler. Within 10 minutes, he had secured the injured man into an Air Rescue Vest and both men were winched up in to the helicopter before he was flown to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition, arriving just after 10am.
About 11.30 hrs, RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked to fly 290km south-west to transfer an 18-year-old man from Clermont to Mackay Base Hospital after he was injured when his car swerved off the road into a ditch. It is believed the man was driving to work about 04:00 hrs when he swerved to avoid cattle on the road. He was unconscious for some time after the accident before being able to call for help. He sustained a broken right arm, a head injury and possible internal injuries in the crash. He was transported from Clermont hospital by helicopter with a doctor and Critical Care Paramedic on board, arriving at Mackay Base Hospital just after 15:00 hrs.
At 16:00 hrs, RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked to transfer a patient with a medical condition from Proserpine to Mackay Base Hospital and upon return to the hangar at 18:30 hrs, was tasked again to a beacon search near Caulder Island. An emergency distress beacon had been activated about 74km east of Mackay and the helicopter crew were able to quickly hone in on the signal and make radio contact with a vessel which was experiencing engine trouble. Another vessel was assisting the disabled boat and Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) was en route to the scene to tow the vessel back to shore. RACQ CQ Rescue maintained overhead watch in the dark until the VMR boat arrived and then returned to base in Mackay at 8pm.