ABSEILING 9-10 January 2007 - Fall, injury and evac, Boars Head Chimney, Blue Mountains, NSW

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Lucas Trihey

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Jan 13, 2007, 2:47:14 AM1/13/07
to Australian Accident Register
ABSEILING 9-10 January 2007 - Fall, injury and evac, Boars Head
Chimney, Blue Mountains, NSW

A group of three abseilers were abseiling the Boars Head Chimney on the
evening of 9/1/07 when one of the abseilers became ill. The 25 year old
Sydney man was lethargic and confused. His friends suspected heat
stroke (the conditions were warm and they had already completed
multi-pitch abseils of Malaita Point and Castle Head the same day).

Judging that he was unfit to abseil the last two pitches his friends
lowered him down these sections. Some time after midnight on the final
pitch the person controlling the lowering rope felt the rope go slack
and thought his friend was on the ground and continued to pay out more
rope.

In fact the patient had stood on a ledge and when he stepped back off
the ledge he fell about three metres (due to the extra slack rope),
landing heavily at the base of the pitch. He sustained a chest wall
injury in the fall.

He was able to walk some way to their exit route up the Devil's Hole
walking track but after about two hundred metres he had to stop. One of
the group attempted to walk up the Devil's Hole track but could not
continue and stopped where he was to wait for morning.

Using a mobile phone a call was made requesting help and a rescue team
comprising two police rescue and two ambulance SCAT paramedic officers
was called out at 3:20 am on 10/1/07. At first light the rescue team
walked down through Devil's Hole, finding the lone walker close to
the track and in good health. They then went along the track towards
the base of Boar's Head and found the injured man and the other
member of the group.

The patient was treated on the scene and was prepared for a helicopter
evacuation. The CareFlight helicopter winched the patient out and flew
him to Nepean Hospital. The rescue team walked out with the two
remaining members of the group, arriving at the top at 9:30am.

LEVEL 4 REPORT

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