Crew rescue missing stockman
CHRIS QUAGLIATA
11Aug07
`WATCH out for all the crocodiles'. That's probably the last thing you want to hear after being winched down from a Blackhawk helicopter through a small clearing in dense, swampy Cape York scrubland miles from anywhere.
But that was the scenario facing Trooper Ryan Purchase in the rescue of missing stockman David George on Wednesday.
The 56-year-old bushman slept in trees for up to a week to avoid the crocodiles after going missing on Silver Plains station, south-east of Coen, while performing a back burn.
He was stranded after his horse wandered off after rolling and leaving him knocked out.
Army aircrew from B Squadron 5th Aviation Regiment and soldiers from the 3rd Brigade including 2RAR in Townsville were called in to help with Mr George's rescue.
"When we got winched down and went up to the man, he said there was crocodiles only a few metres away, all around him," Tpr Purchase said.
"He spent a couple of nights in the tree."
"When we found that out we just wanted to get him out of there as quick as we could."
Blackhawk captain Lieutenant Angus `James' Watson said once Mr George was spotted the aircraft went into action.
"There was a heli-mustering aircraft with a pilot based at the station ... on the day that we arrived, which was Wednesday, the heli-mustering chopper actually found David in the thick scrub," he said.
"They have no means to winch the patient out so we used the winch on the side of the aircraft to hoist David out of the scrub and take him back to Coen for medical treatment."
Tpr Purchase was lowered down into a small clearing in the scrub, in an area too small for the chopper to land, accompanied by an army medic.
Once the man's safety was confirmed, Tpr Purchase then had to make three trips back to the Blackhawk, once with Mr George and then again with the medic – and finally with the rescued man's saddle.
The Blackhawk's original mission did not include a rescue operation, but to support troops from B Company 2RAR who were there to look for Mr George.
"Our role was primarily to move those guys out in to the scrub to look for David," Lt Watson said.
He said Defence Aid to the Civil Community (DACC) operations were a significant part of the Army's job.
Tpr Purchase said army aircrew were well trained to handle civilian aid missions.
"It's actually good to train for something like that then do it for real and actually get to save someone's life," he said.
"It's good to be able to respond very quickly."