CareFlight has winched a woman in her 30s from Litchfield National Park after a snake bit her on the ankle twice.
The woman was bushwalking with a group in the park when the incident occurred at approximately 10:30am yesterday morning.
Members of the party performed first aid on the woman and fashioned a stretcher from tree branches to transport her. An individual was also sent ahead to raise the alarm and encountered a 4WD who notified 000 at the park’s information centre, providing approximate geocoordinates of the party’s location.
Operating the Top End Medical Retrieval Service on behalf of the Northern Territory Government, CareFlight responded to the 000 call by tasking the Top End Rescue Helicopter with a flight doctor and flight nurse on board.
From the air and using the geocoordinates provided by the bushwalking party, CareFlight’s helicopter crew was able to locate the patient and her group and direct Litchfield National Park Rangers to them.
As there was nowhere to land, CareFlight’s flight doctor and flight nurse winched down to the group and assessed the woman’s condition. The patient was then winched into the helicopter where the crew continued observation of the woman as she was flown to Royal Darwin Hospital for further treatment.
