One of Ambulance Victoria's (AV) Wilderness Response Paramedics found herself in the right place at the right time while on holiday, when Queensland local Dianne had taken a fall on a trail.
Whittlesea's Cassie Carr is trained to assist in emergencies in remote and wilderness areas, such as bushland and alpine regions.
These specialist paramedics treat patients in challenging and often uncomfortable environments.
Cassie is one of AV's Wilderness Response Paramedics.
Cassie's skills came in handy during her recent holiday up north, when she came across Dianne.
"I was hiking in Queensland's Springbrook National Park when I found poor Dianne, who had slipped and fallen on the unstable rocky terrain," Cassie said.
"Dianne had suffered a broken wrist and compound fracture to her lower leg, so my paramedic instincts kicked into gear.
"I directed her husband to call Triple Zero (000) and, despite not having a first aid kit on me, I was able to improvise and use Dianne's socks as bandages to control the bleeding as well as stabilise her broken bones."
Dianne was rescued from the trail by Queensland Fire and Rescue and Queensland Ambulance Service teams and transported to hospital where she underwent surgery and is now home recovering well.
Dianne's rescue.
Cassie said now that spring is upon us, the incident was a timely reminder to always be prepared for an emergency when hiking, even for short journeys.
"Always carry some sort of communication device and let someone know where you're going and when you're expected to be back," she said.
"Download the EmergencyPlus app which has a built-in GPS function to help you provide a Triple Zero (000) call taker with location details, and also contains what3words software which works offline, so can be used in remote areas with poor data connection.
"Bring food and water, and consider carrying a basic first aid kit."
Cassie will celebrate 10 years at AV next March and has been trained as a Wilderness Response Paramedic almost the same amount of time.
"I chose to undertake the wilderness training early on in my career because I love adventure and getting outdoors," she said.
"It took place in the Grampians, and we camped out, did a lot of navigation skills and mock patient scenarios where we had to find the patient and treat them.
Dianne was rescued by Queensland Fire and Rescue and Queensland Ambulance Service teams.
"I grew up in Kinglake in the bush and around the mountains, and I love any sort of camping or hiking related activities."
Wilderness Response Paramedics are dispatched to cases such as hiking accidents, rock-climbing accidents and jobs in areas the air ambulance helicopter can't access.
They spend most of their time working as on-road paramedics but are dispatched when notified of a wilderness incident, and respond alongside other emergency services.
"I love working in a multiagency environment with SES, CFA, police, and search and rescue," Cassie said.
"I love working as a big collaborative team."
Dianne's rescue.
Victorians typically begin racing to parks and hiking trails during spring, so it's important to know how to stay safe when planning a trip outdoors.
Tips to stay safe while hiking:
- Always let someone know where you're going and when you're expected to be back.
- Be sure to bring enough water and food, and anything else you need to stay safe such as matches, a torch, sunscreen and basic first aid kit.
- Be cautious that depending on conditions, there is a potential risk of hypothermia and heatstroke.
- Download the EmergencyPlus app which has a built-in GPS function to help a caller provide call takers with location details. The What3Words location function works offline so it can be used in remote areas with poor data connections as well.
- Download the VicEmergency app to be notified of incidents and warnings for your area. Check for any road and trail closures that may impact your plans.
