A worthy cause...

Update:  I wrote this post prior to last night's storm.  Flash floods went through the area a music festival was being held in town.  Luckily no-one was killed.  Conditions were terrible with driving rain and fog at the worst of it.  At least 5 helicopters landed at the hospital over the evening, proving the skills and courage of the air-crews.

We live near a major regional hospital.

We can stand on out back deck and see the hospital clearly, can even watch the helicopters landing on the roof.

15-01-2011 Navy Helicopter on helipad of base hospital (just above centre)

The flight path taken by the rescue choppers to land at the hospital is directly above our house.  You can tell things are desperate when they come in so fast and low that the house actually shakes.

You really know the shit has hit the fan when it is the army who fly in.  After the recent floods it was the Navy, not something I ever thought I would see!

Unfortunately, long weekends mean that people seem to hurt themselves far more than normal.  The first chopper  this morning is just coming in I think... they were coming in thick and fast late yesterday.  It is only a matter of time today I am sure as I can here multiple sirens in the distance...

We can tell when there has been a major incident in the area when the choppers keep on coming one after the other. 

Now I don’t resent the noise of the choppers, ever. 

The work done by the rescue guys, it is heroic and very necessary.  They see the worst sights, often working in terrible conditions.  It isn’t just accidents of course, they provide urgent hospital transports for the sick, for tiny babies, anyone needing more specialist care than our town can provide.

Relatives of people I know have been transported, their lives literally saved by these guys.

One of the major agencies operating in SE Qld is RACQ CareFlight.

RACQ CareFlight is a not-for-profit community-based rescue helicopter service which has been supporting the communities of southern Queensland for almost three decades.

With a response time as little as six minutes, RACQ CareFlight has helped more than 15,000 sick and injured patients.

After almost 30 years, RACQ CareFlight’s biggest supporters are still the communities of southern Queensland, who provide almost half of the charitable service’s funding.

If you are thinking of donating to a worthy cause this Easter please consider RACQ CareFlight or the equivalent in your State. Click here to read all about it.

Charlie the Chopper

You never know when you, or someone you love, are going to need them.