Hiker Reunites With Crew After 11,000th Helicopter Rescue

Three months after Lucy Fairweather heard the words "you've shattered your ankle," she stood face to face with the crew who saved her from a remote mountain peak in Western Australia.

Fairweather had been eating lunch on the challenging Stirling Range Ridge Walk in April when disaster struck. She broke her ankle on the multi-day trek, one of the state's most demanding hikes.

What happened next felt like a dream. Within three hours, a helicopter crew had located her on the ridge and winched her to safety.

"I think just as you get lifted off the ground and feel your weight being taken by that bag, and then you start to see the view, where you were receding, crazy experience," Fairweather said.

Her rescue wasn't just another callout. It marked the 11,000th mission for the RAC rescue helicopter service since launching in 2003.

Earlier this week, the Perth woman reunited with her rescuers to celebrate that milestone. She walked in on crutches but with a smile, nearly fully recovered.

Critical care paramedic James Vine said these reunions close an important loop for emergency workers. "We get kind of a real small snapshot of patients and their injuries and their families, but to see a smiling face rather than a grimacing face is always nice," he said.

Sunny's Take

What made this rescue special went beyond the milestone number. Pilot Matthew Mayne and his team found Fairweather exactly where she said she'd be, with perfect weather conditions.

The operation wrapped up in just 10 minutes, remarkably fast for the challenging Stirling Range terrain. Most rescues involve about 25 people from different emergency services and take eight hours from start to finish.

Vine noticed something else unusual. Fairweather and her hiking partner had the right gear and preparation for their multi-day trek.

"You often get down there and find that people aren't as well prepared as maybe they should be," he said. "It was a refreshing change for ourselves."

For Fairweather, the reunion brought everything full circle. "It was really cool to get the chance to come back and say hi and hear about it from their perspective," she said.

She's nearly off her crutches now and heading toward a full recovery.