Stuart Vollmerhausen knows how quickly a day on the job can end in hospital.
The Gympie region cattle breeder was drafting seven young bulls in January 2023 when a 350-kilogram weaner charged him from behind, knocking him down and spooking six other animals who panicked and trampled him.
“They got spooked. I was laying on the ground, and blood was coming out of my head,” Mr Vollmerhausen said.
“I ended up with a broken rib, a nasty hoof cut to the head and a badly bruised knee.”
The long-time Theebine resident said his 82-year-old mother saw the accident and his daughter called Triple Zero (000).
“I went to work that morning and an hour or so later I was flying to hospital in a helicopter.”
Mr Vollmerhausen dropped into the LifeFlight First Minutes Matter workshop at the Theebine Hotel in February to share details of his emergency.
“I encouraged them all for updating their emergency trauma training skills,” Mr Vollmerhausen said.
“You never know when you will need to use those skills.
“First Minutes Matter is such an excellent program.
“The LifeFlight chopper flies over here a lot and they’re continually airlifting people who are in trouble,” he said.
At a First Minutes Matters workshop, participants learn how to treat burns, bleeds, snake bites, choking, how to perform CPR and much more.
LifeFlight regional medical educator Leah Harrison said it is important people know what they can do in a medical emergency before professional help arrives.
“The most important benefit of this program is being able to help people in the first stages of their accident or medical emergency,” Ms Harrison said.
“These skills are especially vital in the rural community where road and farming accidents are more common.
“When people live in regional areas and smaller towns it means that a medical response can be further away, so it’s crucial that they have the skills to safely manage a medical emergency before official help arrives.”
LifeFlight’s free trauma training workshops are coming to the South West, Darling Downs, North West and Wide Bay Burnett regions in March and April. To register visit www.lifeflight.org.au/first-minutes-matter/in-person-workshop/.
