A LifeFlight aircrew has won a prestigious pilot award for the dramatic search and rescue of a Queensland couple stranded in croc country for three days and two nights.
LifeFlight pilots Mark Overton and Mike Adair received The Barry Marsden Memorial Award on behalf of their crew at a Brisbane ceremony held in November by the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (HCAP).
Founded in London in 1929, the HCAP aims to promote the highest standards of flight safety with the award honouring an outstanding contribution to the preservation of a life during a natural disaster.
On December 7, 2024, Mr Overton and Mr Adair with aircrew officer Wayne Clifford and Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) flight paramedic Andrew Jempson were tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland to look for a couple stranded with their two dogs.
Their car was washed away in floodwaters near Clark Creek, Dorunda Station, 120 km south of Kowanyama.
The mission spanned 1000 kilometres and required careful fuel planning given the vast search area.
After an airborne search the couple were located following a terrifying ordeal involving 40-degree heat, no food or drinking water, and being stalked by a crocodile.
The rescued couple told the LifeFlight crew they were moving from Normanton to Kowanyama when their 4WD was washed away in crocodile-infested flood water as they attempted to cross Clark Creek.
Mr Adair said the eight-hour flight left an indelible impression.
“This was my first mission after coming from New Zealand to work at LifeFlight,” Mr Adair said.
“I was struck by the vast expanse of the Australian desert, the wildlife, and the heat, which was such a contrast to my previous experience in New Zealand.
“Fortunately, this mission had a happy ending, and we were able to work seamlessly together as a team to find and airlift the couple to safety.
“It is so gratifying to receive this award and be recognised by our peers in aviation.”
Mr Overton said the mission reflected the critical importance of a helicopter aeromedical rescue service in North West Queensland.
“When people go missing in the North West, they are stranded hundreds of kilometres from the nearest help,” he said.
“Our aeromedical capability enables us to search vast areas and bring medical assistance to where it is needed most.”
In November LifeFlight delivered a new AW139 helicopter to Mount Isa to service the North West.
The helicopter is the most advanced rescue helicopter to operate in the region and ideally suited to search and rescue missions with a maximum cruise speed of 305kph and a range of 895km.
