From Gripped Magazine · gripped · · 1m 30s
Winched to safety in the Blue Mountains
A climber fell 30 metres at Ben Travado Wall, and getting her out took a helicopter, a doctor and a team on foot.
In brief
A climber fell 30 metres at Ben Travado Wall, and getting her out took a helicopter, a doctor and a team on foot. A fall into hard terrain turns a rescue into a logistics problem, and reaching the patient is only half of it. Originally reported by Gripped Magazine.
A 30 metre fall
On Saturday morning, a woman in her 30s fell around 30 metres while climbing in the Blue Mountains. She was reportedly on Ben Travado Wall.
She landed somewhere hard to reach
The woman came to rest in terrain rescuers could not simply walk up to, which is what turned a callout into a major operation.
A team went in on foot
Special operations paramedics, a doctor, a critical care paramedic and police rescue all made their way to her by foot to start treatment.
“in a difficult to reach location but special operations paramedics, a doctor and critical care paramedic along with police rescue were able to reach her by foot”
Then one came down by cable
A critical care paramedic on the Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter was winched in to help treat her where she lay.
“A critical care paramedic on board the Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter was also winched in to treat the patient”
Arm, shoulder, abrasions
She was treated on scene for arm and shoulder injuries and multiple abrasions before the team moved her out.
Winched out, stable
The doctor, the critical care paramedic and the helicopter winched her out and flew her to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition. The same weekend, a Massachusetts man died in a fall at St. John's Ledges in Connecticut.
The key point
A fall into hard terrain turns a rescue into a logistics problem, and reaching the patient is only half of it.
