A seriously injured man in his 50s was dragged from the wreckage of his gyrocopter after it crashed near Moon Point campground on the west coast of K’gari on Good Friday (18 April).
The Sunshine Coast-based Lifeflight aeromedical crew airlifted the man to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson said the man suffered head, leg, chest and back injuries in the crash.
The Lifeflight chopper was tasked to the west side of the island at 12.43pm.
Relatives of the man erected sun protection for the man as he awaited hhis rescue.
The LifeFlight critical care doctor and a QAS flight paramedic worked with local QAS paramedics to treat the patient for spinal, chest and limb injuries, a Lifeflight spokesperson said.
He was transported in a stable condition, after reportedly being dragged from the burning wreckage of his aircraft.
He also reportedly suffered facial ahd hip injuries.
Whalesong Cruises owner Rebecca Greenshields said on social media the crash occurred about 50m from where her crew was on the island’s western beach.
Hero of the moment was deckhand Mark Davies, from the Karma Dives business, dragged the man to safety and other Whalesong crew members extinguished the blaze with on-board fire extinguishers.
The man was found, unconscious but breathing, about 5m from the wreckage after he was thrown out of the craft on impact.
He was reportedly conscious and talking when the rescue helicopter arrived.
