RACQ LifeFlight chopper called to rescue lost bushwalker

The benefit of being well-prepared before setting off on a bushwalk was on display when a woman’s kit led emergency services to her after she became lost while hiking.

A LifeFlight aeromedical crew winched a woman to safety after she became lost while hiking at Crows Nest Falls.

The crew was called to the scene by the Queensland Police Service about 5pm on Tuesday after the woman set off an emergency position-indicating radio beacon

They flew to the area and began searching for signs of her in the thick bushland.

She used a torch and lit a small fire to alert the rescuers to her exact location before a Queensland Ambulance Service flight paramedic was winched down to assess her.

The woman, aged in her 60s, was uninjured and was transported back to LifeFlight’s Toowoomba base just after nighfall.

The crew said the woman’s thorough preparation was key to her rescue.

“She had all the correct gear, she was a seasoned hiker and did everything appropriately, which led to a very successful outcome,” Aircrew Officer Tony Connolly said.