The RFDS has retrieved patients from almost everywhere over the 2.5 million square kilometres of Western Australia. In May, a crew carried out the first aeromedical transfer from a remote fishing community on the Abrolhos Islands, 60km west of Geraldton.
While spraying down a crayfishing boat on Big Rat Island, Justin Small suffered a seizure. A mate found him slumped over the boat, his face blue. Contractors from the Department of Fisheries who were working nearby managed to lift the 37 year old onto a quad bike and rush him to the local nursing post.
Justin was cared for overnight by WA Country Health Service nurse Andrea, who was supported by an RFDS doctor via Telehealth. The plan was to transfer Justin by RFDS in daylight hours the next day. Justin’s condition had improved by the next day, but he still had an extremely irregular and elevated heartbeat.
Andrea was wonderful, staying up with me the whole night, keeping me positive
Justin
The RFDS’ Fortescue Heli-Med helicopter is mostly used for retrievals within a 250km radius of Perth. In this instance it flew a longer distance to Geraldton to refuel and then onto Big Rat Island. A fixed-wing RFDS aircraft is unable to land at the Abrolhos Islands because the current airstrip isn’t long enough.
Fortunately for Justin, just weeks prior to his seizure, the RFDS had carried out a feasibility mission to Big Rat Island. A team made up of pilots, a doctor and a logistics specialist assess the island’s airstrip conditions, clinical requirements and options for helicopter flight routes and refueling. When the call came that someone needed to be transferred, RFDS already knew what was required.
To retrieve Justin, pilot James Gillespie landed the helicopter on the island’s rocky limestone terrain and Dr Michael Robbins and Retrieval Nurse Cat Hanley helped transfer him to Geraldton Health Campus.
“The crew were absolutely incredible and so caring,” he said. “They calmed me down and reassured me I was safe.”
Justin has spent many years on the Abrolhos Islands and from his stretcher on the flight to Geraldton, pointed out landmarks to the crew, who were seeing the unique landscape for the first time.
