More than 600 people were airlifted by the Sunshine Coast-based LifeFlight crew during the past 12 months, as the organisation prepares to open a new base to expand its reach across the region.
New data revealed the rescue helicopter crew helped 604 people and clocked up 1018 flight hours across 643 missions, attending a range of incidents including road crashes, cliff falls and remote rescues, from July 2024 to June 2025.
The year also included the arrival of a new AW139 helicopter and construction of a new base at Marcoola, due for completion later this year.
The local crew’s missions included 111 motor vehicle accidents (up 11 per cent), 10 animal-related incidents (up 25 per cent), 11 search and rescue incidents (the same), 58 cardiac incidents (down 18.3 per cent) and 352 inter-facility transfers (down 7.6 per cent).
LifeFlight chief operating officer Lee Schofield said the crew attended a range of missions.
“One day they can be called out to a motor vehicle crash in the hinterland and the next day a winch rescue from a beach or mountain,” he said.
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“The fact they can do all these missions is testament to their skill and dedication to the community.
“The new base will bring a new era of aeromedical capability to the region and herald an exciting period for LifeFlight Sunshine Coast.”
In October, the crew worked with the Queensland Fire Department to rescue Gold Coast University student Maverick Robbins after he crashed his paraglider into a sandstone cliff on Rainbow Beach.
In January, the crew winched a man to safety after he fell 20m off a Noosa cliff and the following month winched two stranded hikers from a mountain in the Scenic Rim.
Two months later, the Sunshine Coast crew airlifted an adult male from K’gari after the gyrocopter he was flying crashed, and in April they located a stranded sailor off North Stradbroke Island.
The local crew contributed to another record year for LifeFlight, with 8497 people helped across the state – 3.9 per cent higher than the previous year.
LifeFlight’s fleet of helicopters, air ambulance jets and specially trained medical teams, including critical care doctors, flight nurses and paramedics, helped patients with a range of illnesses and injuries.
Mr Schofield said the 2024-25 financial year was the one of the most significant in the not-for-profit’s history.
“Every hour, we are called upon to airlift Queenslanders in distress, whether it’s hikers stranded on mountains, capsized boaties miles from land, or people needing urgent medical attention in major hospitals,” he said.
“It’s a mission our aeromedical crews carry out with great dedication with the goal of bringing equity in healthcare no matter where or when people need us.
“My sincere thanks go to all LifeFlight’s staff for the incredible work they do. The team effort and coordination across all our work groups is key to providing the world class standard of care and ensuring equity of health care in regional communities.
“To continue to meet this objective, we’re evolving our organisation with the best aircraft, advanced bases and facilities and cutting-edge training unmatched in our region.”
Mr Schofield said LifeFlight’s growth was possible due to the support from the community, donors and philanthropy, government and new commercial partnerships.
“This generosity and support enable LifeFlight to keep helping more people each year as demand for our services continues to increase,” he said.
LifeFlight medical director Dr Jeff Hooper said the breadth of the missions demonstrated the ability of the aeromedical crews to perform complex procedures under pressure.
“Our aeromedical teams provide advanced care under extremely challenging circumstances, whether that is treating patients on scene after serious car crashes, stabilising patients mid air, rescuing people stranded in the ocean or winching down a paramedic to hikers stranded on the side of a cliff face,” he said.
“This rapid aeromedical intervention is often the difference between life and death and comes after our crews undertake intensive training at the LifeFlight Training Academy, which prepares them for any situation they may face in the field.”
Dr Hooper said a key part of LifeFlight’s mission was the development and delivery of free First Minutes Matter emergency trauma training workshops.
“This incredible initiative helps to build community resilience by giving participants the practical skills to manage life-threatening events such as motor vehicle accidents, farming incidents, stroke and snake bites.”
LifeFlight’s helicopter crews, operating from bases on the Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, Mount Isa, Toowoomba, Roma and Brisbane, clocked up 3732 missions in FY25-26, which included airlifting injured motorists, patients with cardiac problems, seafarers, hikers and farmers injured by animals.
Overall, the number of missions was 10.5 per cent higher than the previous financial year while flight hours also increased by 15 per cent to 5940.
Much of LifeFlight’s aeromedical work involved inter-facility transfers. This ensures all communities have equal access to the best possible healthcare, no matter where they live.
Since taking to the skies in 1979, LifeFlight has helped more than 90,000 people.
LifeFlight helicopters contribute to the Queensland Emergency Helicopter Network via a 10-year service agreement with the Queensland Government.
