Beef Week during May was a huge success for CapRescue, with thousands of guests, both national and international, visiting our stall. Past patient Nick Dudarko generously donated a Brahman bullock for a ‘Guess the Weight’ competition. Nick’s accident in 2011 caused 40 per cent of his body to be covered in burns. There is no doubt in Nick’s mind that CapRescue helped save his life.
“It’s a remarkable service. If this accident happened to me 20 or 30 years ago, I’d be dead!”
All proceeds from the ‘Guess the Weight’ competition were directly donated to CapRescue and the seven-year-old Brahman bullock was given to the Monto State High School for 12 months to be used in their Monto Cattle Club studies. The students were over the moon with the new addition to their agricultural classes.
The crew were also kept busy during May, being tasked to two patients at the same time—initially to Thangool to transport a 92-year-old woman who had suffered a severe injury during a fall at her home. The patient was stabilised and transported to the Rockhampton Hospital. However, while still in the air from Thangool, the crew were tasked to another patient in Emerald: an 82-year-old with a suspected bowel obstruction. The patient was assessed by our onboard medical crew and transported to the Rockhampton Hospital.
Also contributing to the crew’s total of 382 flights hours and 294 tasks for the year was the rescue of a couple missing off the Percy Isles, north-east of Rockhampton. The crew searched the island where they discovered large amounts of debris, a rubber dinghy and life jackets. Fortunately, the Gladstone couple were found on a peak after abandoning their sinking boat. The rescue crewman retrieved the couple and the onboard paramedic assessed both patients for hypothermia and shock. Remarkably, the patients were both in a stable condition and flown to Rockhampton for further treatment.
Towards the end of the year, our office administration moved into leased premises in the East Street Mall after outgrowing our Canoona Road hangar. This provided the service with an easily accessible shop front, which allowed us to welcome the public to come in and learn a bit more about our role in the community. The design of the new hangar complex was well underway, following successful negotiations and fantastic support from the Rockhampton Regional Council to acquire additional space for the service.
Image: 2012 The CapRescue crew performed a hi-line transfer near Gladstone.