On Tuesday 5 January 2016 at approximately 2.00pm the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked to attend Cape Raoul on the Tasman Peninsula for an injured climber.

The climber, a male in his 20’s from Queensland was in a climbing party of four and was traversing an area known as “The Pole Dancer” which is located on the tip of Cape Raoul, approximately 55 metres above sea level. The injured climber fell approximately 8 metres from a pillar, landing on a small ledge on the eastern side of Cape Raoul. He sustained severe injuries in the fall and was secured to the ledge by other members of the climbing party.

The helicopter attended the area and winched a Rescue Crewman and Paramedic to the location. The patient was treated on the ledge for approximately an hour in extremely challenging circumstances. Once treated and stabilised the patient was winched from the location and transported to the RHH in a serious condition.

At the conclusion of this mission the helicopter was immediately tasked to attend Hartnett Falls on the Overland track for a female who had sustained a head injury. The female walker aged in her 40’s from Western Australia had slipped in the Mersey River. The helicopter flew to this location and the crew treated her injuries. She was winched from the area and transported to the RHH in a stable condition.