Patient: Lisa and Tony Fogg (Gold Coast couple moving to Kowanyama)
Mission: Remote search and rescue for a couple stranded in the outback
LifeFlight Rescue: Aerial search tracking and high-speed evacuation to safety
Key Capabilities: Navigating remote outback terrain to locate missing couple
The Submerged Car
A freak wave slammed into their 4WD as they crossed Clark Creek, northwest of Staaten River National Park. Lisa and Tony’s car filled with water in two minutes. The creek water was almost to the roof before Lisa managed to pop the passenger window out.
Stalked in Crocodile Territory
They escaped with their two blue healers through a window and swam through crocodile-infested waters to reach the remote creekbank. They had no phone reception, clean drinking water or food. For three days and two nights, they endured 40-degree heat, insect bites and a 3.2-metre stalking crocodile.
“Then I heard the distinctive thump of rotors. It was total relief. I felt like I could stand down for a bit. I was in the hands of professionals.” LifeFlight patient, Tony Fogg
Expert Aerial Search Tracking
Flooded roads hampered ground rescue teams, so the Mount Isa LifeFlight helicopter was dispatched to search the vast outback terrain. Before the chopper arrived, a thunderstorm enabled the couple to carve out two large SOS signs in the mud. Pilots Mike Adair and Marke Overton used precision tracking to spot the signs to find the missing couple.
The Outback Lifeline
The LifeFlight team assessed the dehydrated couple, safely loaded them and their dogs into the aircraft, and flew them to safety. LifeFlight’s rapid deployment and search capabilities saved the family from a highly volatile and life-threatening situation. Today, Lisa and Tony call the rescue service, the true backbone of the outback.
“If that helicopter hadn’t shown up, I’m absolutely positive, we would have died.” LifeFlight patient, Lisa Fogg
