A challenging rescue was achieved through the combined efforts of emergency services of a surfer who suffered fractures and deep lacerations to his legs after falling 8-10 metres down rocks at Tea Tree bay in Noosa National Park about 3pm last Wednesday 12 October.
Noosa lifeguards, including Isaac Smith, rushed to the site after receiving a call to assist from Queensland Ambulance Service, both teams arriving on scene one behind the other.
Isaac said the man aged in his 30s had been sitting on a ledge looking at the surf near a steep goat track, a popular path used by surfers to climb down from the main walking track to the surf, before he fell. At the time waves of about a metre had attracted hundreds of riders into the water.
“He lost his footing and tumbled 8-10m down the side of the cliff – on to rocks,“ Isaac said.
“He was very lucky. There was room for him to sustain significant or major injuries.“
Isaac said before emergency teams arrived other surfers had moved the man higher up the cliff, clear of crashing waves and a bystander called Triple Zero.
“We had to climb down the goat track surfers use,“ he said.
Over several hours paramedics treated the man for his injuries and stabilised his condition with lifeguards providing assistance, then they called for aerial assistance. A LifeFlight helicopter was sent from Bundaberg, arriving about an hour later.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services also attended and deployed a rope technician to assist in the rescue.
Isaac said the emergency team had to stretcher the man to a place where he could be accessed by helicopter rescue. He was then airlifted to Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH).
