This week's episode of the hit television show Air Rescue features the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter team coming to the aid of an injured rider at a camp draft tournament at Copmanhurst.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The rescue helicopter team were en route to another emergency when they were told to turn back and head to the camp draft tournament.
Rescue Helicopter pilot Nathan Scard said the patient was able to be reached in good time which resulted in a good outcome.
“Our service is absolutely vital to the community,” he said.
“Because of the speed we are able to travel and the fact that we are now carrying a full crew of pilot, air crewman, paramedic and emergency doctor means our service does save lives.
“An intensive care paramedic and the doctor are at the scene so quickly that we are essentially bringing the emergency department of a hospital to a scene, it certainly helped Al our patient on this particular call.”
Skilled old hand Al and his horse were competing at the local camp draft competition when Al’s horse took a fall.
Al sustained serious injuries due to that fall.
“We were able to provide that high level of emergency care very quickly to Al and I reckon that’s why he and many other patients have good outcomes after sometimes terrible accidents,” Mr Scard said.
“The mission to rescue Al was a little different because we had originally been tasked to attend a motor vehicle accident in the Tweed Valley, so we were flying in the opposite direction to Copmanhurst.
“We had only been airborne and heading north for three minutes when we received the call that we weren't needed at the motor vehicle accident and that there was a more serious accident at the camp draft we had to attend.
Mr Scard said once that call came in they raced to the scene near Glen Innes.
“We did an 180-degree turn and headed south instead of north and that probably saved at least five minutes off our mission time because we were already airborne,” he said.
“From that moment on the job went as normal as possible, our crew did a great job and we had a great outcome, the rescue helicopter service will always try and get to a patient.
“From what I have heard Al has made a full recovery and is back riding horses.”
The helicopter team provides their service free of charge.
Air Rescue airs Wednesday’s at 8pm on Channel 7.