Northern State Emergency Service group on standby for Talisman Sabre paratrooper drop

As Talisman Sabre kicks off across the country, the Northern branch of the SES were on standby – equipped with ladders for a very specific reason during an operation outside a tiny NQ town. SEE WHY

Pentland SES group were on standby for assistance during Talisman Sabre 2025.

As Talisman Sabre kicks off across the country, the Northern branch of the SES were on standby equipped with ladders for a unique assignment to the west of Townsville.

The members of the Pentland SES group were called in on Tuesday night to attend a paratrooper drop at the Lakeview Station Military Base near Balfes Creek, west of Charters Towers, with a simple mission to help paratroopers who may have overshot their landing area and ended up stuck in gum trees.

In a post to Facebook, the State Emergency Service Northern group said they had a member pick up a vehicle from the Charters Towers depot with a 7m ladder and meet the Pentland vehicle and crew at the Lakeview Station turn-off.

“We met a ton of amazing military personal from all around the world. The Alaskans could not understand how they froze to death the night before when it was only 4 degrees and they only brought their summer sleeping bags, because … ‘that's not cold’,” the post read.

Pentland SES group were on standby for assistance during Talisman Sabre 2025.

“We met the Australian ‘Water Rats’, who were on the Powlathanga Lake – in case of over drops landing in the water.”

The group said at around 10pm they saw “looked like a spaceship” appearing in the night sky, which turned out to be several low-lying aircraft dropping equipment – before around 460 military paratroopers dropped from the sky.

This was then followed by a smaller aircraft 30 minutes later which dropped around 30 French paratroopers.

With the SES ready to assist, there were no calls of any incidents of paratroopers stuck in trees or in the lake, and no ladders or water crews were required to take action.

One injury was reported, which army medics attended to.

“It was the most spectacular feeling being a tiny part of such an amazing event,” the SES said in the post.

Originally published as Northern State Emergency Service group on standby for Talisman Sabre paratrooper drop