When you see the statistics on the number of missions that life-saving CapRescue performs you understand how vital this organisation is, though it’s the stories of people’s experiences with CapRescue that really hit home.
We want to hear some of your stories, particularly if you’re a miner who has been involved in an incident that required the helicopter’s assistance.
CapRescue crews fly hundreds of missions every year. Many of them are connected to the mining community, whether that’s through the location, the patient, or the family behind the call. But mission stats alone don’t show that. They don’t show the faces, the families, the ripple effect that comes from one helicopter flight.
But first, we want to tell you about Damien Olsen.
Damien is lucky to be alive. The Yeppoon local and keen spearfisherman, had a loaded spear gun resting on the side of a boat that released and shot through his chest, missing his heart by 9mm.
“I was talking on the phone at the time and didn’t even know it had happened until one of the boys said, ‘Damien, you need to put your phone down. You’ve been shot!’” Damien recounts.
“I looked down to see that the spear had entered just below my chest on one side and was protruding below my shoulder on the other side.”
Damien went into shock, struggling to breathe and struggling to talk, “I remember saying to the boys, get me a chopper, I need one, now”.
At the time of the incident, on January 19, 2014, the boat was sitting just off shore of the Miall Island. Damien and his mate travelled about one kilometre back to Great Keppel Island in the hope of finding some medical treatment.
“Luckily, there were a couple of off-duty nurses on the Island who rushed down with a first aid kit but soon realised that that wasn’t going to be of any help and called triple zero.
“The nurses and my mates kept me calm while we waited for the helicopter to arrive.”
When the helicopter arrived the medical crew spent 20 minutes stabilising Damien before they moved him onto the helicopter for the flight back to Rockhampton.
Damien can’t remember too much of the flight itself, but he recalled the medical team doing everything they could to look after him, even taking things out of the helicopter so that he could be as comfortable possible when they put him in.
Damien’s injuries were extensive, the spear gun had torn his esophagus, diaphragm, liver and stomach. He ended up being transported to Brisbane where he underwent surgery to remove the spear and spent a fortnight in hospital.
“I think it could have been a lot worse if the helicopter didn’t show up when it did. The crew were bloody good and without a doubt, they saved my life.”
| So, are you a miner with a story to tell? CapRescue is putting the call out to the mining community for their stories. If you or a family member has ever needed CapRescue we’d love to hear from you. To get in touch reach out to Jess: jess@thecoalface.net.au Because when people understand the story behind the mission, they understand the value of having rescue on hand — wherever, whenever it’s needed. |
