Josh Ward’s harrowing fall and lifesaving rescue in outback Queensland

A quiet day mustering cattle almost turned deadly for Josh Ward when he fell into a two-metre-deep hole while working at a remote station in North West Queensland. Here’s what happened next.

Cattleman Josh Ward was saved by LifeFlight after a terrifying fall into a two-metre-deep hole while mustering cattle in remote North West Queensland. Picture: Supplied

A quiet day mustering cattle almost turned deadly for Josh Ward when he plunged into a two-metre-deep hole while working at a remote station in North West Queensland.

The Longreach local was chasing a rogue cow at Mellish Park Station, near Gregory Downs, when disaster struck on June 25, 2024.

As the afternoon sun cast shadows across the ground, Josh rode headfirst into a hidden rocky pit, puncturing his lung and leaving him gasping for breath.

“I fell very heavily on my left side,” he recalled.

“I was laying there thinking: ‘You’re all right – you’re just winded.’ But when I got to my feet, it was excruciating. I knew something was wrong.”

Cattleman Josh Ward was saved by LifeFlight after a terrifying fall into a two-metre-deep hole while mustering cattle in remote North West Queensland. Picture: Supplied

His mother-in-law, Bev, quickly phoned the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) for help.

Though they advised not to move him, Josh, with help, managed to drive a quad bike 500m to the main road.

A LifeFlight helicopter, piloted with night vision goggles, landed in the paddock next to him, guided by the headlights of two cars.

“That ketamine kicked in pretty quickly, and they got me to the helicopter,” Josh said.

“They put me on a stretcher, got a drip into my arm for more pain killers and then they flew me to Mount Isa Hospital.”

Cattleman Josh Ward was saved by LifeFlight after a terrifying fall into a two-metre-deep hole while mustering cattle in remote North West Queensland. Picture: Supplied

Josh says his family has relied on aeromedical teams before, with accidents being common in their line of work.

His brother-in-law ruptured his spleen and fractured ribs in a horse bucking incident, and his father-in-law suffered multiple fractures when a horse rolled on him.

“In our line of work, accidents happen all the time,” Josh said, praising LifeFlight and the RFDS. “We wouldn’t survive up here without them.”

LifeFlight is currently fundraising to ensure every LifeFlight helicopter aeromedical team has access to state-of-the-art night vision goggles.

You can help here: www.lifeflight.org.au/NVG

Originally published as Josh Ward’s harrowing fall and lifesaving rescue in outback Queensland