Elderly man winched from cruise ship off Qld coast after fall

An 80-year-old man was flown to hospital on Monday after rescue crews winched him off a cruise ship in Queensland waters.

An 80-year-old man was flown to hospital on Monday after rescue crews winched him off a cruise ship in Queensland waters.

The Bundaberg-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew winched the man, aged in his 80s, after a reported fall.

The aeromedical crew was tasked to the scene, 80 nautical miles off the coast, by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) at around 9am.

LifeFlight said in a statement it was believed the man had struck his head when he fell. The rescue crew officer and the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Flight Paramedic were lowered down to the vessel with a stretcher to retrieve the patient, who was treated and winched into the chopper.

An AMSA Challenger 604 jet was also tasked from Cairns to provide top cover for additional communication and enhanced safety during the offshore operation.

The man was flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a stable condition.