Westpac Rescue Helicopter airlifts injured horse rider at Hawks Nest Myall Coast Myall Coast by News Of The Area - Modern Media - January 10, 2024 Crowds gathered as the Westpac Rescue crew awaited local ambulances bringing the patient to Myall Park. EVERYONE was reminded of the vital and life-saving work done by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service when an emergency medical evacuation occurred on Myall Park on Friday, 29 December. At around 9am a woman in her thirties, who had been horse-riding along Jimmys Beach, fell off and was subsequently rolled upon by her steed. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “The patient has a compound-fractured ankle, related to a horse-riding accident on Jimmys Beach,” Rescue Helicopter Team Leader Adam Butt said. “The emergency is more about the type of injury, circulation can be compromised, so time is of the essence, and we can get patients from Hawks Nest to John Hunter Hospital in about twelve minutes.” The helicopter, heard zooming in overhead, landed at Myall Park and soon drew crowds around the park’s perimeter. Myall Park has long and often served as an emergency landing spot for such actions, for a long time being the only such landing area in town, although Mr Butt professed that this modern machine could land and take off from Bennetts Beach directly, if necessary. “This has been a busy Christmas period, and the workload is just going to continue as people are all out and about,” Mr Butt told NOTA. The M1 and Pacific Highway was visible from the air en route, snarled up with holiday traffic as east-coasters went from where they had to be for Christmas, to where they wanted to be for New Year’s. The helicopter, based at Lake Macquarie Airport, awaited its charge as a crowd cautiously approached to witness its mechanical marvellousness, emblazoned with the logos of corporate and government sponsors that help keep it in the air. “The helicopter has two-engine turbines, one is for redundancy, can fly at night by instruments, and in most weather – from Lake Macquarie it can get us comfortably all the way to Lismore on a single tank.” The helicopter has of course assisted in the recent past with flooding in Queensland, fires all around, and the odd beach-borne accident. By Thomas O’KEEFE The magnificent machine is a sight for sore eyes for many, and carries the names of sponsors who help keep it aloft and operating. The Park was cleared as the patient was safely transferred from ground ambulance to rescue helicopter. Lift off! Less than fifteen minutes to John Hunter Hospital, the patient was in very good hands.
