Mackay rescue helicopter flies eight missions in two days
The Mackay-based RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter flew eight missions and 2300km across the region at the weekend.
Mackay
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It has proven to be a very busy start to the New Year for the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter with eight missions in two days across the Mackay region.
The crew flew more then 2300km across the region on their missions, which brought their total for the first nine days of the new year to 18.
Two patients suffered life-threatening lacerations and blood loss in two accidents involving an angle grinder and a filleting knife, while other callouts involved jellyfish stings and a hiking injury.
RACQ CQ Rescue completed 638 missions in 2022, which is the second busiest year on record for the Mackay-based rescue helicopter service.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8
CARMILA: RACQ CQ Rescue was sent at 6pm on Sunday, January 8, to meet paramedics on the oval at Carmila, about 80km south of Mackay.
A 68-year-old man suffered serious gashes to his hand and jaw as he worked with an angle grinder.
A RACQ CQ spokeswoman said the patient reported he was using a circular saw blade on an angle grinder to cut wood.
The tool ‘kicked back’, sliced his hand and jaw and narrowly missed his neck. He was treated and taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition.
HAMILTON ISLAND: At 10pm on Sunday, January 8, the rescue chopper was sent to Hamilton Island, about 90km north of Mackay, to pick up a 60-year-old man who lacerated his left thumb while filleting fish.
He sliced a chunk of flesh from the webbing of his hand between the thumb and forefinger and told the medical team had no feeling in his hand.
He was flown to Mackay and arrived in a stable condition at midnight.
OLIVE DOWNS: The Mackay-based chopper flew 270km to the new Pembroke mine site at Olive Downs, 40km south-east of Moranbah, to airlift a 51-year-old Sunshine Coast man.
The contractor suffered a cardiac issue and required urgent hospital treatment in Mackay.
CLERMONT: Hospital transfer to Mackay.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 7
RACQ CQ Rescue also flew more than 1100km on Saturday on four missions across the region.
Saturday’s day shift started with two back-to-back missions to treat and transfer two teenagers injured at popular local holidays spots.
CAPE HILLSBOROUGH: The rescue chopper was sent just after 9.30am by Queensland Health to assist a 16-year-old girl who had dislocated her knee at the bottom of a walking track at Cape Hillsborough.
The teen, from Rural View, was stranded on the beach as the tide came in quickly.
A walk back up the track or along the rocky shoreline was impossible.
After a triple-0 call, the Mackay-based chopper was dispatched with a doctor and critical care paramedic on board to fly 45km north to the national park and camping area.
The chopper orbited the shoreline near Wedge Island several times before the decision was made to winch down a paramedic and rescue crewman onto the beach to secure the patient into a rescue harness.
The teenager was then winched up into the helicopter and flown directly to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition.
KESWICK ISLAND: Directly upon their return to base at about 11am, the helicopter crew was sent to Keswick Island, 30km east of Mackay, after reports a swimmer suffered a suspected Irukandji jellyfish sting.
The helicopter landed in the rain at the island airfield, near Basil Bay, and the 13-year-old, believed to be on holiday from Biggera Waters, was treated and flown to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition, accompanied by her parent.
COLLINSVILLE/CLERMONT: About 1.45pm on Saturday, the helicopter flew to Collinsville to airlift a man with a serious cardiac condition and also later transported a patient from Clermont to Mackay Base Hospital who was injured in a fall as he removed Christmas decorations at his home.
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