RACQ CQ Rescue has this afternoon winched a medical team down onto rocks in a clearing in thick rainforest at Finch Hatton Gorge to treat a seriously injured walker.
The Mackay-based helicopter was tasked by Queensland Health just after midday after a 000 call alerted authorities that a man had fallen on a walking track at the popular tourist spot in the Pioneer Valley and suffered serious leg injuries.
The RACQ CQ Rescue crew used co-ordinates provided by fellow walkers to fly directly to the heavily-wooded location, near the Wheel of Fire waterfall, about 70km west of Mackay.
After a five-minute aerial search of the rocky waterway and thick rainforest canopy, the man’s walking party was spotted near the waterway below by the helicopter crew.
Given the flat rocks below and an adequate clearing in the dense canopy, a decision was made to winch the rescue crewman and Critical Care Paramedic down to the scene.
As the helicopter hovered about 40 metres overhead, a rescue crewman was winched onto rocks near the shallow waterway. A Critical Care Paramedic then followed, winched down from the helicopter onto large rocks near a waterfall, using hand signals to communicate with the crew above about a landing position.
After both crewmen were safely on the ground, a third winch delivered a stretcher and medical equipment down to the medical team.
As SES crews and ambulance officers arrived on scene, the decision was made by the medical team to walk the injured man out of the forest on a stretcher instead of winching him.
After 50 minutes on scene, the helicopter returned to base while crews on the ground carried the injured walker to a waiting ambulance, which then transferred him to Mackay Base Hospital.
RACQ CQ Rescue winched a rescue crewman and Critical Care Paramedic down to assist a seriously injured walker at Finch Hatton Gorge today. Photo supplied: RACQ CQ Rescue
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