Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia

Sea King Rescues Injured Hiker

23 May 2011

Two Sea King helicopters from the Navy's 817 Squadron at Nowra have been quickly deployed for a 700km flight to Lord Howe Island to make a dramatic rescue of an injured hiker.

The choppers from HMAS Albatross were deployed to Port Macquarie following an Emergency Management Australia request for Defence assistance. They then made the dash across water to Lord Howe Island.

The Sea Kings, which are due to be withdrawn from service in December, were required to winch an injured climber from Mount Gower. The injured man had suffered a broken ankle and had been moved to the summit by a civilian rescue team. When a civilian helicopter was unable to be deployed the SOS was sent to 817 Squadron - where a quick response was activated.

The climber was winched aboard in a delicate operation and flown to the island airport. As he was being winched, the Sea Kings operated close to a steep mountain side and were buffeted by moderate winds. The patient was then transferred to Port Macquarie hospital, where he is in a satisfactory condition.

"It was a great team effort," Lieutenant-Commander Tanzi Lea, who led the operation, said yesterday. "It was difficult to get a civilian helicopter to operate on such a lengthy sea transit, so we were called and responded as soon as we could," he said.

He described the area from which the injured climber was winched as inaccessible. He said all concerned with the operation - from crew members to maintenance staff - had combined well in what was an exceptional team effort.

LEUT David Lacey piloted the helicopter which winched the man to safety before LEUT Simon Driessen hovered the other above the site, to eventually lift out remaining personnel, climbers and equipment.

The Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans, said the Navy's quick response was paramount to the success of the operation. "The ground and aircrew did a fantastic job in getting two aircraft prepared and away at short notice," Lt-Gen Evans said.

"To fly nearly 700km, refuel and then conduct the winch extraction of an injured climber is a great feat of airmanship."

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