The Sunshine Coast-based LifeFlight aeromedical crew winched a paraglider to safety last night after he crashed into an 80-metre sand cliff in the Gympie region.
The rescue crew was tasked to the remote Rainbow Beach incident on the Cooloola Great Walk track at 6pm last Wednesday.
It is believed the man in his 20s was experienced and paragliding with a friend when he got into trouble just before sunset.
His friend had to circle for 20 minutes before finding a spot to land and then climbed up to reassure his friend, call Triple Zero (000) and hold onto his harness to prevent his mate from falling off a 20-metre embankment.
The Queensland Fire Department (QFD) was the first on scene and used an ATV to get to the scene while others walked two kilometres to reach the site.
QFD were lowered 60 metres down the steep, sandy slope in the dark to reach the paraglider.
The multi-agency, three-hour rescue included four QFD teams, SES volunteers, Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) paramedics and Queensland Police Service (QPS).
A LifeFlight rescue crewman and critical care doctor were winched down first followed by the flight paramedic with equipment and then the rescue stretcher with more medical equipment.
A LifeFlight rescue crew officer and QFD officer dug out a 15-metre pathway on the sand ledge and stabilised a section to enable the stretcher to lay flat.
The patient was treated under torchlight for suspected spinal and back injuries.
He was flown to Sunshine Coast University Hospital for further treatment.
