Positive Aussie helicopter rescue service

[Dick Smith]

What a great story in The Australian newspaper this morning, headed “Dad gets help from above to find son trapped in car wreck.”

Mr Lethbridge’s 17 year old son hadn’t come home after driving a friend to the central coast in the early hours of Sunday morning, and the Police suggested he had probably run away.

The article states:

“Mr Lethbridge recalled in incident about six years ago along a dangerous stretch of the Pacific Highway between Swansea and the turn-off near Warnervale, a man had veered off the freeway into a ditch and wasn’t found for five days. “I wasn’t going to sit around and let the same thing happen to my son.””

I particularly liked this:

“First thing Monday morning Mr Lethbridge went to the Skyline Aviation office at Lake Macquarie Airport and said he needed a helicopter to help to find his missing son. The company offered to leave immediately – no payment required.”

To use an Australian expression, “I dips me lid” to Skyline Aviation.

Within 10 minutes of flying they located a crashed car that was hidden 20 metres off the road with a badly injured person on board.

It is great to hear some positive helicopter news this early in the year.

[Evil Twin]

Great news, well done Dad and Skyline Aviation :ok:

[The Ozzie BOY]

Well Done to Skyline Aviation, Its great to see that there are some great people willing and able to help .

[[email protected]]

I hope the police are suitably embarrassed. A similar incident in Scotland wasn't followed up by police and resulted in 2 people being left in their car for a long time because it wasn't visible from the road.
Crash victims may have lain injured for three days - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-33438667)

[cattletruck]

Read the same article this morning too in disbelief, Dad had a hunch and was proved right.

The vehicle was white and was easily spotted, and there were a few deep moments for Dad who feared the worst when they spotted it. I'm curious as to how they made the call to emergency services, was it via ATC, mobile phone, did they land first?

Great outcome in the end.

[Aluminium Mallard]

Wonderful result good on you dad for coming through for your son.

It makes me wonder if a mixed fleet of police / SAR helicopters would be more cost effective and useful than the current bigger more engines more crew members etc etc approach.

No need to launch the big bird for every little day VFR job. It would provide a path for progression for pilots also.

[John Eacott]

Great result and magnificent move by Skyline Aviation to offer a free service without hesitation :ok: :D

edit: Apparently the Dad paid a $1,000 deposit which was refunded by Skyline Aviation. From their FB page in response to the discussion:

it’s an honour being a part of this amazing community around us and we have all been effected by the recent events. It’s the absolute least we could do and we certainly want to do more for Sam and the family. We are all eagerly waiting on news about Sam and how he’s doing! Looking forward in seeing him leap out of hospital!!BZ to the pilot Lee Mitchell who had a some squirrely winds to contend with, landing nearby to drop off Sam's Dad.