The Mount Isa RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter has come to the rescue of a woman and her dog, after her ute became bogged, stranding them in the outback for around 16 hours.
Tasked by Queensland Police Service (QPS), the crew headed out at first light this morning to search for the woman, after she failed to arrive at her intended destination yesterday.
She is believed to have become stranded around 2pm yesterday, on her way from Kynuna to a station.
The crew spotted her on the side of the road, north-east of Kynuna, around 6.40 this morning.
The pilot landed the helicopter nearby and the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Flight Paramedic assessed the woman.
She didn’t require further medical attention and was flown to the station she had been attempting to travel to, with her dog safely secured on her lap.
RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Pilot Jason Metti said the woman had been sharing her limited water supply with her pet, while they waited for help.
“She did the safest thing by staying with her car until we arrived. She broke down with relief when we got there, very happy to see us,” he said.
The team refueled the helicopter at Kynuna, with the help of State Emergency Service (SES) personnel from Julia Creek, who had brought fuel drums to the town.
