Hiker uses AirPods to call for help after 50m Mount Walsh fall

A mother's insistence has saved a teen’s life after he fell 50m down a North Burnett mountainside, leaving him forced to call her for help and sparking an extraordinary rescue operation involving a doctor only three months out of training for such a complex job. WATCH THE RESCUE

The emergency rescue doctor who helped winch a seriously injured a teenage hiker to safety after an extraordinary fall 50m down a mountainside said responders were “very surprised he was alive”.

LifeFlight critical care doctor Kit Harvey was part of the rescue crew who helped winched the young man to safety following his tumble down the side of Mount Walsh, near Biggenden, shortly after he had reached the summit on Sunday.

Remarkably it was Dr Harvey’s first ever winch rescue, after he completed his training only three months earlier in August.

The man was climbing Mount Walsh at Biggenden, about 85km west of Maryborough, shortly before midday when he fell, a LifeFlight media spokeswoman said in a media release Monday.

He had reached the summit when he fell down the rough terrain, smashing his phone and suffering head, chest, neck and pelvis injuries.

He was still able to call his mother on the AirPods, the release said.

She was then put in touch with police who guided the rescue helicopter to the scene.

A critical care paramedic was winched down to the hiker, who treated him before helping winch him back on-board the helicopter.

The hiker was then flown to Bundaberg Hospital in a stable condition.

In an interview released by LifeFlight Monday, Dr Harvey said the teen was found “right at the base between the edge of the cliffs and the trees”.

In an interview released by LifeFlight Monday, Dr Harvey said the teen was found “right at the base between the edge of the cliffs and the trees”.

“It was particularly tricky … because he was hidden by dense foliage but luckily he had taken his EPRB – so his GPS beacon – and was able to stay in constant communication with his mother and QPS through his AirPods, so after a brief search we were able to find him the base of the cliffs under the trees,” he said.

“We were able to find (him) because he activated his EPRB GPS beacon as well as his AirPods still connected to his phone.

Remarkably it was Dr Harvey’s first ever winch rescue, after he completed his training only three months earlier in August.

“Sadly he smashed his phone but we still able to make a phone call to his mum who was able to speak to QPS and they were able to directly co-ordinate our rescue efforts by staying in constant communication between the three of us.”

Dr Harvey it was an ongoing three-way conversation between the teen, police, and the rescue helicopter.

He said responders “were able to be guided by the (teen) when he was able to look overhead and see the helicopter above him”.

The teen’s mother had in fact “insisted” he take the GPS beacon before he left the house, Dr Harvey said.

“Mum does save the day! Mother knows best,” he said.

“We were really worried … given the history we had been told: Head, neck, spinal, chest and abdominal injuries.

“We were very surprised he was alive given the story we were told so we were preparing for the worst case scenario, so we were very relived to find him awake and conscious and talking.”

Originally published as Hiker uses AirPods to call for help after 50m Mount Walsh fall