On Saturday, just after 4.00pm, RACQ CQ Rescue received word from Queensland Health that four hikers needed help after it received a triple 0 call.
The chopper headed to the dense bushland of Cape Hillsborough to search for the bush walkers.
The four were reportedly walking the trails when they became disoriented and overcome by the heat of the day.
On arrival, RACQ CQ Rescue quickly located a hiker in steep, wooded terrain. A Rescue Crew Officer was winched to the site to determine what medical support was needed. A second person was located with the hiker sighted from the air, accounting for two of the four bush walkers.
A 17-year-old male was ambulatory and able to communicate with the RCO which was a relief to all. His 18-year-old female companion had succumbed to the heat and required considerable assistance from the RCO to be able to be transported to the helicopter hovering above.
The two hikers were winched to the safety of a chopper where a doctor and a paramedic were able to fully assess and treat them. They were flown to the Mackay Base Hospital for further evaluation.
The remaining two hikers had made their way out of the bush on foot and did not require assistance from the helicopter crew. That was the second emergency task that has resulted from heat related complications in recent weeks, as a man was airlifted from Middle Percy Island on New Year's Eve.
RACQ CQ Rescue responds to a distress call in Cape Hillsborough's dense bushland, rescuing overheated hikers. Photo credit: RACQ CQ Rescue
