From the extended emergency services and health family in the St George/Sutherland district, our deepest sympathy to Mick's family and colleagues. Like many others here, I had the privilege to have worked along side Mick at many jobs over the years. As has been acknowledged, a true professional, family man and all round good guy. He will be missed by many, and many tears have been shed.....
Dick makes the point about using feet rather than rotors to extract people; My professional opinion is that the widespread availability of aircraft, which are being paid for by government for rescue missions, when taken in context with the time, cost and effort to raise sufficient ground forces for a ground extraction, means inevitiably the response time of aircraft will always win out.
Freewheel made the point of the Golden Hour; I'm sure many of our highly qualified medical breathren will have a better perspective, but given the chance to hoist someone out of a hole and have them at a major trauma centre within an hour, versus a six hour walk out needing 20 or more stretcher bearers and gear ponies... I know what my first preference is...
BUT and it is a very big but, the reliance we have come to place on the availablity of aircraft comes at a high price. Our ability to deal with situations such as these when adverse weather strikes is critically diminished because we are so sure the magic fan will come from the sky to winch out our victim, we, collectively, rarely conduct ground based extractions, and generally speaking do not train particularly for those scenarios. Which is not to say we cannot make it happen but we certainly are not as practiced as we were several decades ago.
The other consideration that seems to be forgotten is the inherant risk in these operations. As the down the wire man, Mick paid the ultimate price in saving others; In this country, we have an exceptional safety record for winch work. That record is a result of regulation, a dedication to training and importantly a strong safety ethos. The risk has always been there however has been managed very well. The fact that we have been so fortunate in general with these missions means that the real risk is often forgotten by those in charge of resource deployment and tasking.
Mick's tragic death should be a reminder for those who take risks on behalf of others in the interests of the wider community, that we should never take each other, and family for granted. We are normally very fortunate that the holes in the Swiss cheese don't line up.
As to the discussion about banning high risk adventure sports; probably best left to another time, other than to say regardless of the risks I would not choose to live in a society where the freedom of adventure, exploration and outdoor travel is restricted. My experience over the years has been the most technically proficient and competent rescue staff, be they aircrewmen, ground rescuers or planners have all pursued these sports and activities and have a real understanding of what is involved. I know that the Mick Wilsons of the world would not want to see such a scenario considered.
Vale Mick.