Woman with broken ankle, man with dehydration also airlifted to Rockhampton Hospital for treatment

RACQ CapRescue chopper tasked by police to rescue the man from Central Qld coastline. Read about the incident here, as well as details of other two rescues.

RACQ CapRescue's Rescue 300 helicopter was tasked to retrieve a man in his 70s who had fallen from his catamaran and swam about 8km to shore near Stanage Bay.

A man in his 70s has swum for about nine hours to shore after he fell from his catamaran near Stanage Bay overnight.

RACQ CapRescue was called at 9.30am Tuesday by the Queensland Police Service to retrieve the man, who was then stranded on the beach with his catamaran.

It is understood he fell from the vessel 8km off the coast.

Due to rough sea conditions, he could not be rescued by boat so the rescue helicopter was called.

The man was reportedly uninjured and suffering only from minor exposure, and did not have to be transported to hospital.

Meanwhile, the same chopper was tasked to Great Keppel Island on Sunday morning after a woman in her late 40s fractured her ankle on a walking trail near Monkey Beach.

It landed on the island’s airstrip where local workers transported the onboard doctor, critical care paramedic and rescue crewman by ATV to a nearby vessel.

They were taken via boat to Monkey Beach, where the woman was treated for a compound ankle fracture.

She was returned to the chopper via vessel and ATV and was flown to Rockhampton Hospital in a stable condition.

RACQ CapRescue also retrieved a male patient from Gannet Cay on the Swain Reefs on Monday morning.

The patient, who was onboard a fishing charter vessel, was reportedly suffering from stomach complications and dehydration.

The low tide meant the chopper could land at Gannet Cay, where the patient received initial medical treatment before being taken to Rockhampton Hospital in a stable condition for further treatment.