Rescue helicopter tasked to Proserpine
18 Feb 2012
RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked to Proserpine Hospital this afternoon for a 68 year old female who was holidaying on the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship. When it docked at Shute Harbour she was taken to the Proserpine hospital for treatment. Due to the seriousness of her condition she was airlifted on board the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter to the Mackay Base Hospital for observation and treatment.
Snake bites pregnant woman
16 Feb 2012
RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked to Collinsville Hospital where a pregnant woman had presented with puncture marks to her right foot.
The woman had apparently been bitten on her foot by a snake although she had not seen or felt the snake or its bite.
A swab of the patient's foot tested positive for venom. She was airlifted on board the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter to Mackay Base Hospital where her condition will be monitored.
Crew tasked to Dysart
13 Feb 2012
The RACQ CQ Rescue crew was tasked to Dysart again today. The patient, a 25 year old man from Roma, was suffering from a suspected cardiac condition and was transferred from Dysart Hospital to Mackay Base Hospital for further observation and treatment.
4 year old boy transfered from Dysart
12 Feb 2012
RACQ CQ Rescue crew was tasked to Dysart for a 4 year old boy today. The boy was suffering severe breathing difficulties and was airlifted to the Mackay Base Hospital for medical treatment. The young patient was a little apprehensive at first but had settled prior to take off, arriving at Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition.
Crew in Mackay and Brisbane kept busy
09 Feb 2012
Both RACQ CQ Rescue crews in Mackay and Brisbane attended to cardiac patients today.
The Mackay crew lifted off from Mackay Airport at 8.45am this morning bound for Dysart to retrieve a 49 year old Yeppoon man who had suffered what appeared to be a heart attack.
The man was in a serious condition when he arrived at Mackay Base Hospital and it was only a short time later the Mackay-based crew were tasked to transfer the patient to Townsville for urgent medical care.
The crew departed Mackay at 3.45pm
Meanwhile at 10.07am this morning, the Brisbane-based RACQ CQ Rescue crew was tasked to Inglewood where a 70 year old man was experiencing a cardiac episode. On arrival, the medical crew said the patient's chest x-ray revealed the man also had a collapsed lung which explained his additional breathing problems.
Once stabilized the man was transferred to Toowoomba Hospital arriving at 2.40pm
RACQ CQ Rescue attends Car Vs Bike
08 Feb 2012
The Mackay-based RACQ CQ Rescue has carried out its first mission since the helicopter crew was deployed to Brisbane yesterday morning to assist with aero-medical missions in the South East of the State.
At 10.10am this morning the crew who is based at Archerfield was tasked to an accident involving a car and motorbike on Ocean View Road, Mt Mee. The RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter landed at Dayboro Showgrounds where they were met by a waiting ambulance.
The 32 year old female motorcycle rider sustained multiple fractures, lacerations and possible internal injuries in the head-on crash. She was wearing a helmet and protective riding gear at the time of the accident.
She was airlifted to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a stable condition where she will undergo further examination.
It's expected the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter will remain in Brisbane for several days as requested by Queensland Health. The service's second Bell 412 helicopter remains in Mackay to service this region.
False Alarm
01 Feb 2012
The crew of RACQ CQ Rescue has spent almost 4 ½ hours searching for a beacon signal which appears to be have been deliberately activated and discarded at Connor Island, part of the Guardfish Cluster, 45 NM south east of Mackay.
After several hours of searching this morning from 8.30am, the crew returned to Mackay to refuel before heading back out to sea again in an effort to locate the distress beacon.
RACQ CQ Rescue Air Crewman George Casey said, "The EPIRB was the older 121.5 Mhz beacon which was detected by aircraft flying overhead.
"When we eventually located the correct area of the EPIRB, the pilot was able to land on the island's beach and we soon found it. Although it was covered in seaweed, it was fixed in the 'on' position with a very strong signal which indicates someone may have purposely activated it within the past 36 hours".
RACQ CQ Rescue CEO, Phil Dowler said the cost of the exercise amounted to just under $30,000 for the service.
He said, "This type of task reminds all of us to ensure we have the correct type of EPIRB, to dispose of our old ones properly and bear in mind the helicopter rescue service is an expensive operation required to help those in genuine need. While we are on a wild goose chase, someone may be in urgent need of aero-medical care. We can't be in two places at once."
All activated beacon signals are treated as genuine until proven otherwise.
Traumatic eye injury
28 Jan 2012
The rescue crew made their way to Moranbah at 12:50pm to collect a 35 year old male Moranbah resident. The man suffered an eye injury after his left eye made contact with a spinning ceiling fan whist ascending a ladder. He was taken to the Moranbah hospital and stabilized before being airlifted back to the Mackay Base Hospital. He was in a serious but stable condition. Arriving in Mackay at 3:50pm
Bowen man airlifted
24 Jan 2012
The RACQ CQ Rescue Helicopter left Mackay at 12:25pm to transfer a 56 year old Bowen man from the Bowen Hospital to the Mackay Base Hospital. The man was suffering from a suspected Cardiac Condition. He was transferred to Mackay in a serious but stable condition arriving at 2:36pm
Four year old boy airlifted from Clermont
21 Jan 2012
Just after arriving back to Mackay the crew were called out at 10:30pm to retrieve a four year old boy from Clermont. The local Clermont boy had suffered a broken leg from a serious fall. He was stabilized by the doctor on board the CQ Rescue helicopter and was then airlifted back to the Mackay Base Hospital arriving at 2.30am.
