CapRescue has marked 30 years to the day since their very first rescue mission in Central Queensland, and they have only gotten bigger and busier since.
The first rescue mission was February 18, 1996. An American tourist was involved in a sky diving accident on Great Keppel Island and broke his leg.
“We took off from the tarmac with a single engine Bell aircraft with two of us and went over and picked him up. On that day it was exceptional to have that service otherwise the patient would have bounced back across the rough seas then got in a road ambulance to hospital,” explained Mark Tobin, long serving board member and former paramedic.
Mark has been with CapRescue since the beginning and recalled another occasion when they rescued a teenager who came off a motorbike at Marlborough.
“I was on the road at the time and met one of the other guys at the helicopter. We flew the 16-year-old to Rockhampton and then onto Royal Brisbane and later on I received a letter from the doctor there to say if we hadn’t done what we did, he wouldn’t have survived.
“This isn’t about me; this is a team. This is how you put emergency medical systems together – the right people to the right patient with the right treatment back to the right facility, that is what saves lives,” Mark said.
“The community got behind the idea of a rescue helicopter and supported it from day one. Over time that has helped shape a world class service the region can rely on.”
From its first rescue to today’s complex aeromedical operations, the service has grown alongside the communities it serves. Shaped by local backing, operational partnerships and a shared commitment to keeping the region connected to critical care.
Chief Executive Officer Darren Pirie said the anniversary acknowledged those early foundations while reinforcing the responsibility to remain prepared for what lies ahead.
“We had a dream 30 years ago that we could access rural and remote properties with a helicopter that we couldn’t reach by car or feet. We started with small bell helicopters and now we’re flying state-of-the-art AW139 helicopters.
“Reaching 30 years is significant, but it’s not about standing still. It’s about making sure CapRescue is ready for what the next 30 years will demand from an aeromedical service in a growing and diverse region,” he said.
Member for Rockhampton Donna Kirkland said the biggest gratitude has to go to the community who has supported CapRescue from day one and continues to do so.
“The biggest piece of gratitude must go to the community of Central Queensland. The fact that they continue to attend those fundraising events, buy those raffle tickets, every single one of those donations going to saving a life and making sure people have access to health services as soon as they need them.”
| THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES – CapRescue has completed just under 12,000 missions in its 30-year history – Each year, the helicopters deliver more than 1,000 hours of in-air patient care – Those hours increase on average by 100 hours flying time each year – In the past year CapRescue has carried out about 650 missions |
