.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
SHOALHAVEN-based NSW Ambulance paramedics have had a busy weekend, rescuing of a group of lost motorbike riders south-west of Nowra, answering the activation of an EPIRB near Kangaroo Valley and treating a woman injured during a riding incident which resulted in her being airlifted to Sydney.
Emergency services were alerted to a group of six motorcyclists being lost on the Deans Gap Firetrail, south-west of Nowra on Sunday evening.
The group, riding in the popular area, apparently got lost as night fell.
Four riders decided to stay at their location while two fellow riders went to raise the alarm around 7pm.
Bomaderry-based paramedics Andrew Kinross and Jason Trautman led the rescue response taking both the Shoalhaven rescue truck and four-wheel drive vehicle.
Upon arriving at Deans Gap Road, the crew used the four-wheel drive vehicle to travel as far as they could before having to abandon the vehicle.
Using GPS bearings, the crew walked a further 3.6 kilometres into the bush to locate the stranded riders.
The paramedics, who carried in 14 bottles of water and ration packs, arrived at the group just as the rain was starting to fall.
After providing the riders with some hot food and tea, the group was walked out.
They were joined by a couple of specialist operations paramedics from Sydney during the walk out.
In an all-night job, after being activated at 9pm, the local crew made it back to the Bomaderry station at 6.30am Monday.
Emergency services, including a NSW Ambulance rescue helicopter, swung into action on Saturday afternoon after an EPIRB was activated near Kangaroo Valley.
The rescue device was inadvertently activated in the Upper Kangaroo River around 5pm by two kayakers from Culburra Beach who were apparently paddling from Oallen Ford to Tallowa Dam.
The men had already kayaked 60 kilometres over four days and were supposed to be picked up at the dam on Sunday morning.
The Toll NSW Ambulance rescue helicopter located the pair in an extremely dense bushland area but could not winch a paramedic into the site as a warning light came on in the aircraft and it had to abandon its mission.
However, before leaving the helicopter crew used night vision goggles and two warm spots were seen inside a tent at the area.
The crew reported there were no signs of people being in distress.
The State Emergency Service also activated a rescue boat which traveled up the river but could only make it as far as the rapids. As the pair were located in an area considered unreachable by foot, the rescue was called off.
It wasn't until mid-morning Sunday that rescue teams finally made contact with the pair who were both well and in good spirits despite sub-zero night-time temperatures.
The pair's EPIRB device is thought to have malfunctioned after water breached the unit.
A 23-year-old women was airlifted to a Sydney hospital after falling off and being trampled by a horse at Woollamia on Sunday morning.
Emergency services were called to a Woollamia Road property around 10am.
The woman was thrown from the horse and landed on her hands and knees but the horse then stomped on her back and head area, causing the woman to lose consciousness.
After regaining consciousness she complained of shoulder and back pain.
Paramedics undertook spinal precautions before transporting the woman to the Huskisson football field where the Wollongong-based Toll NSW Ambulance rescue helicopter had landed.
She was flown to St George Hospital in a stable condition.