A woman’s celebration of a significant birthday, came to an abrupt and unexpected end, when she was airlifted to hospital by the Bundaberg RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew.
She had been snorkeling and swimming with family and friends who had come from around the country to join her on the Great Barrier Reef.
The woman was injured on board a tourist vessel, when she stumbled and landed hard on her ankle.
The rescue helicopter was called into action just before 11.30am (Sat 8th April) and tasked to Lady Musgrave Island to meet the patient who was being transported by boat.
The rescue helicopter pilot landed the aircraft on a beach on the south-west side of the island.
Crew from the tourist boat carried the injured woman across the sand to the helicopter, where she was treated by the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Critical Care Doctor and QAS Flight Paramedic.
Suffering a suspected broken ankle, the woman was in a stable condition when she was airlifted to Bundaberg Hospital