Busy Night for Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS)

A busy night for our wonderful staff at Retrieval Services Queensland (RSQ).

The Brisbane and Townsville LifeFlight Air Ambulance jets airlifted three people to Brisbane overnight, after they were seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash on Norfolk Island. It's believed all three were tourists and passengers in the vehicle, which crashed into a power and communications pole on the Pacific island late yesterday afternoon (Thursday 16th March).The Townsville-based jet was immediately tasked to assist in the emergency situation just after 5:30pm, as the crew was completing another aeromedical mission.

The Brisbane-based Air Ambulance jet was also sent to the island nation, which is 1400 kilometres off the Australian coast.

The aeromedical crews on board each Challenger 604 aircraft,include an RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Critical Care Doctor and Flight Nurse, worked alongside local paramedics to transfer the patients from the hospital where they were initially treated, to the waiting aircraft. The Townsville jet departed the island first, flying to the LifeFlight base at Brisbane Airport, with a female patient, with multiple injuries, on board.

A short time later, the Brisbane jet airlifted another two patients, a male and female, back to the LifeFlight base. 

The jets were met by QAS crews and transported by road to the Royal Brisbane and Princess Alexandra hospital.