NT chopper crash leaves passenger critical (Dundee Beach)

Ian Badham
21st June 2009, 9:30pm

A passenger suffered critical injuries when a small helicopter crashed onto mudflats at a remote beach near Darwin in the Northern Territory late today.

A CareFlight rescue helicopter and doctor located the crash at Dundee Beach, 50 km south-west of Darwin, in the dark and flew the passenger and pilot to hospital in Darwin.

The crashed pilot used a satellite phone to alert authorities shortly before 6.30 pm as he struggled to rescue his passenger. The helicopter was destroyed in the crash.

The CareFlight doctor said the passenger, a man believed to be aged in his 50s, suffered chest and lung injuries and a fractured arm.

The male pilot escaped with minor injuries but was suffering severe shock.

CareFlight chief aircrewman Daniel Warring said the rescue was made difficult because of darkness and because there was no road access so other emergency support could attend to assist.

Mr Warring said the single piston engine R22 helicopter crashed onto a mudflat about 100 metres from the main beach.

The pilot told the CareFlight doctor he was flying along the beach from where the pair had camped and turned to observe a crocodile then crashed.

The pilot said after starting the turn the next thing he remembered was being upside down in the mud.

The pilot dragged his passenger to the safety of the shore, away from crocodiles, then buried the man in the sand up to his neck in an attempt to prevent his companion from developing hypothermia.

The injured passenger and pilot were flown to Darwin airport then transferred in a CareFlight ambulance to Royal Darwin Hospital.

A not-for-profit organisation, CareFlight provides a medical-rescue helicopter in Darwin to support the NT Government and emergency services, and also provides a jet air ambulance operation with its own doctors and nurses to undertake international and interstate patient missions. CareFlight also operates from bases in Sydney, Cairns and Perth.

For further information please contact NRMA CareFlight director Ian Badham on 0418 245 748.

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