Mount Isa senior firefighter David McCrindle reunites with LifeFlight crew that helped after Harley Davidson crash

Firefighter David McCrindle has plenty of experience helping others on their worst day. That all changed when he crashed his Harley Davidson in the ‘middle of nowhere’ with no phone reception.

LifeFlight QAS flight paramedic Jake Graham, patient and Mount Isa senior fire fighter David McCrindle and RFDS Doctor Shima Ghedia.

After 30 years of responding to calls to help the Mount Isa community, senior firefighter David McCrindle found himself relying on the help of emergency services himself after crashing his Harley Davidson in the ‘middle of nowhere’.

He recently got to reunite with and thank those who responded to his own call for help.

Mr McCrindle was an hour west of Camooweal in September 2023, riding his Harley Davidson with a group of friends.

He noticed riders coming up behind him in his mirrors and drifted too close to the edge of the road, causing him to lose control.

Mt Isa senior fire fighter David McCrindle

“I managed to keep the bike up for about 100 metres until I hit a termite mound in the long grass and then I came off the bike and landed in the bush,” Mr McCrindle said.

“Friends who were riding with me, saw the cloud of dust and came back to help me.”

Mr McCrindle’s helmet had ripped off on impact.

He had a concussion, five broken ribs, a punctured lung, a hip hematoma and a brain injury.

“The pain was excruciating, and I was finding it difficult to breathe,” he said.

With no phone service, a truck driver with a satellite phone stopped to help and called Triple-0.

Four emergency teams rushed to his rescue.

The Mount Isa LifeFlight aeromedical crew flew in Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) critical care flight paramedic Jake Graham, who landed at the same time as two QAS vehicles arrived on scene.

The emergency crews who saved David working together.

Paramedic Jennie Matthews and Camooweal Health clinic nurse Kristy Benjamin were inside the first ambulance and paramedics Jayne Herrick and Alecia Myles from Mount Isa station were inside the second.

Shortly after them was the Royal Flying Doctor Service jet with Dr Shima Ghedia and flight nurse Zak Tilbury.

David's helmet

Emergency crews involved said it was a great team effort to ensure the treatment and transportation of Mr McCrindle to Mount Isa Hospital.

“This was a great example of working closely with the LifeFlight team,” Dr Ghedia said.

“Given the severity of the accident, we prepared for a broad range of medical conditions he could have potentially suffered.”

Mt Isa senior firefighter David McCrindle recovering in hospital.

“We examined the patient closely, continued to stabilise him and we gave him pain relief so we could safely transfer him to Mt Isa Hospital for further treatment.”
Mr McCrindle said he was grateful to the people who helped him when he needed it most.

“It’s very difficult when you have an accident in such a remote area. It was a whole coordinated logistical effort by all involved,” he said.

Originally published as Mount Isa senior firefighter David McCrindle reunites with LifeFlight crew that helped after Harley Davidson crash