Fishing vessel heads for Bundaberg after ‘crush’ injury overnight

Footage has been released of a frantic rescue mission and journey back to the shores of Bundaberg after a fisherman was seriously injured while hundreds of nautical miles off the Coast. VIDEO.

A midnight machinery accident left a fisherman with a crushed hand 200 nautical miles northeast of Bundaberg.

Queensland Ambulance Services received a request from the fishing vessel shortly after midnight and it was heading into Bundaberg on Tuesday morning.

It is reported the man, in his 40s was attempting to fix a rudder when his hand was crushed.

Once the vessel made it within 100 nautical miles of the Bundaberg coastline, at roughly 10am, the Bundaberg-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew winched the man from the vessel.

The Bundaberg-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter winched the man from the longline fishing vessel.

“The captain brought the boat closer to the coastline, so it was within safe flying distance for the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter to undertake an ocean winch rescue,” a RACQ LifeFlight spokesperson said.

“An AMSA Challenger 604 jet from Essendon in Victoria was also tasked to provide top cover for the LifeFlight chopper, for the offshore operation.”

A paramedic attended to the patient, who was reportedly in a stable condition, as the helicopter made its way to the Bundaberg Hospital.

“It is believed the injured man’s crewmates on the fishing vessel had administered some first aid when the incident occurred,” a RACQ LifeFlight spokesperson said.