Toddler’s stroller lifted in air by rescue helicopter’s blades at Cairns hospital
An incident in which a toddler and their stroller were lifted into the air by the whirring blades of a rescue helicopter taking off outside Cairns Hospital has prompted a state government review.
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An incident involving a toddler and the stroller it was inside being lifted into the air by the whirring blades of a rescue helicopter taking off outside Cairns Hospital has prompted a state government review.
The LNP declared it would reassess the location of the landing site, located on the Cairns Esplanade, following an independent infrastructure review released last month.
But the previously unreported incident, which occurred in June 2022, has underscored ongoing safety concerns around the helipad, located near a popular pathway used by hundreds of runners, dog walkers and tourists alike on a daily basis.
A Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) spokeswoman confirmed the child’s carriage lifted about 30cm off the ground as a result of the downwash from a rescue helicopter.
It is understood the mother and her toddler were not injured and assistance was immediately provided by a nearby security officer.
The following month, an 82-year-old woman was also knocked over and injured by the downdraught of a helicopter at Innisfail Hospital as it hovered above the hospital’s helipad.
Fencing has since been installed to better secure the helipad area in Cairns but Member for Mulgrave Terry James said more need to be done.
“It’s been a problem for a very long time,” Mr James said. “Where it is at the moment, it is dangerous.
“In one instance it has blown a lady, with a pram, over. Those are the big new helicopters with the heavy downdraught.”
Determining the best possible location for a helipad would inform any further upgrades to the hospital, the Far North MP said.
“You just can’t plan the hospital expansion and put the helipad anywhere. It has to be factored into the overall design,” he said.
“That will happen. It will be planned properly now.”
As part of master planning underway for the Cairns Hospital precinct, options are being explored to relocate the helipad to the top of a hospital building, CHHHS chief executive Leena Singh said.
“The Cairns Hospital helipad is a vital component of providing timely emergency treatment for patients from across Far North Queensland,” Ms Singh said.
“Since the helipad was established many years ago on the Cairns Esplanade, the size of helicopters has increased and the aviation safety requirements have changed regarding safe clearance rates.”
Since the incident involving the mother and her toddler, additional safety measures have been adopted.
“The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service has worked with Queensland Government Air (QG Air) to allow the continued interim use of the helipad while a longer-term option is developed,” Ms Singh said.
“In consultation with Cairns Regional Council and with expert advice from QG Air, Cairns Hospital has implemented a number of short-term measures to protect pedestrians from rotor down wash and ensure their safety on the Esplanade including fencing and deploying four security officers to stop pedestrian traffic during helicopter landing and take off.”
Mr James said the helipad’s location on the Esplanade, a popular spot for locals and tourists to stroll along the city’s foreshore, was established in the 90s and only intended to be a “temporary fix”.
“It suited the size of helicopters used back then,” Mr James said. “The latest model of helicopters, particularly the one being used at the moment, has an incredible downdraught and it will just blow you over.
“That’s why the hospital has security walking the footpath to keep people away every time the helicopter lands.”
There are no plans to move the helipad away from the Cairns Hospital precinct, Ms Singh said.
The LNP’s independent review also determined to halt construction on a new four-theatre, 32-bed surgical centre in Cairns.
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