Ryan and Niki have always been supporters of the Flying Doctor yet never imagined that one day their own daughter would become a patient after being bitten by a shark.
Ryan, Niki and their two daughters Alyssa (10 years) and Asher (seven years) were enjoying a family holiday on their 40-foot catamaran sailing down a sheltered river channel near Lockhart River when they had to make a life-saving phone call to the RFDS.
The family were checking crab pots from their runabout tinny and had pulled aboard a small dead shark stuck inside one of the pots. As Ryan was releasing it, Asher came closer to have a look.
Suddenly the lifeless shark started thrashing in Ryan’s hands. It sliced Asher’s knee with its razor-sharp teeth as Ryan quickly threw it out of the boat and back into the water.
“When we realised her long pants had been cut through, I quickly ripped them off, bandaged the wound, kept pressure above the knee, and then got back to the boat to assess the situation,” Niki said.
“We knew this was a bit more serious than what we could handle ourselves and my biggest concern was being able to access Lockhart River because the weather conditions were so bad."
In an attempt to find help, Ryan called the Lockhart River Primary Health Care Centre and arranged for an ambulance to meet them at the beach.
“We travelled up with our catamaran, and then once we got closer to the beach, we had to anchor up and transport Asher in our tinny,” Niki said.
“The waves at that point were a good one and a half meters and we had to try and do a beach landing and carry Asher to shore.
“I can remember standing there holding the tinny trying not to think about all the crocodiles we had seen on previous days.”
Due to Asher’s injury and the risk of infection, she was flown by the RFDS (Queensland Section) to Cairns Hospital for surgery.
RFDS Medical Officer Dr Davina Pereira spoke to the family on the day of the accident and said tropical waters are a breeding ground for a whole range of organisms.
“We didn’t know what the shark’s mouth was carrying, so Asher’s knee needed to be cleaned out thoroughly in theatre as soon as possible,” Dr Davina said.
“The worst case scenario from an accident of this kind is sepsis or losing a limb.”
By car, Asher would have faced a 10-hour journey with an injury that would most likely have worsened on-road.
With the RFDS, it was an hour and a half flight with our expertly trained aeromedical crew monitoring her closely on the way.
“At the hospital, Asher collapsed, and we realised that the bleeding wasn't abating as an artery above the top of her knee had been nicked,” Niki said.
“So, if we had left any of that to chance or tried to handle that on the boat, the outcome could have been much worse.
“We are so grateful for the RFDS.
“When you see the figures on how many people are actually helped by the RFDS, it's just such an invaluable service, particularly for areas up there.
“We all need to donate because you just don't know when you’ll need them.”
