What’s Happening?
Rockhampton mother-of-two Donna Neil has shared the story of a dramatic rescue after falling approximately 15 metres down a steep mountainside in Carnarvon Gorge in April.
Donna was hiking alone on Queensland’s Great Walk when she lost her balance near Battleship Ridge, leaving her stranded on a rocky slope with stabbing back pain.
An off-duty LifeFlight officer eventually reached her during the night, before a Roma-based aeromedical crew completed a challenging helicopter winch rescue the following morning.
Why It Matters
Donna had been training for the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory, using the Great Walk to prepare for the demands of long-distance hiking. On the second day of her journey, she encountered loose rocks, steep climbs and long grass that obscured sections of the track. Her accident happened when a hiking pole became lodged between rocks near a tree.
“I lost my balance when I yanked my walking stick out of the rocks,” Donna said. “It was a sheer edge. I did a sort of backwards cartwheel fall and thankfully when I landed the backpack broke my fall.”
Her backpack absorbed much of the impact, but the steep slope made movement difficult. With limited drinking water and no shade, Donna faced an uncertain wait for assistance.
Local Impact
Despite being stranded in a remote section of Carnarvon National Park, Donna was able to communicate with emergency services and her husband, Jeff.
She had packed a ZOLEO satellite communicator and solar charging mat, which allowed her to recharge her flat phone and exchange messages without mobile reception.
Although some messages took up to half an hour to arrive, the contact helped reassure Donna that help was coming.
For Jeff, the eventual rescue brought enormous relief. “There’s no way we could have got Donna out on foot,” he said. “LifeFlight got my wife home again.”
By the Numbers
Donna’s planned training hike became a demanding rescue operation involving specialist equipment and experienced personnel.
- 87 kilometres: Length of the Great Walk Donna was attempting as part of her preparation.
- 18 kilograms: Weight of the backpack she carried to test her equipment and supplies.
- 15 kilometres: Distance off-duty LifeFlight officer Bryce Duke hiked through the darkness to reach her.
Zoom In
The Roma-based LifeFlight crew had been preparing to winch Donna to safety when the helicopter was redirected to a more seriously injured patient.
With Donna facing a night alone, off-duty LifeFlight aircrew officer and State Emergency Service volunteer Bryce Duke set out on foot. He reached her at approximately 2am after a six-hour hike.
Bryce brought water, warm blankets, over-the-counter pain relief and a hydrolyte drink prescribed by a LifeFlight doctor. He then monitored her condition for the next five hours.
Donna recalled the moment she spotted his torchlight. “When I saw Bryce’s torch light I burst into tears. I immediately had so much trust for the person in front of me. He really reassured me that I was going to be okay.”
His presence also helped the rescue team prepare for the extraction. Bryce relayed information about Donna’s condition and the surrounding terrain before the helicopter returned at first light.
Zoom Out
The rescue tested the coordination of LifeFlight’s Roma-based aeromedical team, which included a pilot, aircrew officer, rescue crew officer, critical care doctor and paramedic.
Operating an AW139 helicopter within Carnarvon Gorge presented significant challenges because of the steep terrain, dense timber and limited space available for winching.
LifeFlight pilot Pete Marris explained the importance of crew coordination during complex operations.
“We train for this sort of operation regularly, and I think the big thing is that you’re not just training individual skills, you’re training to operate as a crew, each doing their own job and trusting others to do theirs, working together to get somebody safely out of a very difficult situation,” Pete said.
Aircrew officer Nick McKee helped guide the helicopter during the winch operation, while the medical team assessed Donna and prepared her for extraction.
She was secured in a rescue chair, lifted into the helicopter and flown to Roma Hospital for assessment. According to LifeFlight, Donna sustained soft tissue injury despite the significant fall.
What To Look For Next?
Donna’s rescue was not the end of the crew’s demanding day. Later that afternoon, the same Roma aeromedical team returned to Carnarvon Gorge to assist two other bushwalkers in trouble.
For Donna, the experience did not end her long-distance hiking ambitions. In June, she completed the 230-kilometre Larapinta Trail she had been preparing for before her accident.
Looking back on the ordeal, she expressed gratitude for the people who brought her to safety. “I felt completely looked after and safe,” she said.
