QLD mother survives 15-metre fall alone on remote hiking trail
Rockhampton mother Donna Neil survived a 15-metre fall while hiking Carnarvon Gorge. An SES volunteer rescued her.
Rockhampton mother-of-two Donna Neil survived a 15-metre fall down a steep mountainside while solo hiking the Carnarvon Gorge Great Walk in April. Neil's backpack pulled her off balance as she climbed Battleship Ridge.
The backpack sent her tumbling down a 50-degree slope. Unable to move without pain and with minimal water, she used a satellite communicator to alert emergency services and her husband.
A LifeFlight helicopter was diverted to another patient. Volunteer SES member Bryce Duke hiked 15 kilometres through the dark for six hours to reach her.
He arrived around 2am. Duke stayed with Neil until dawn, when a LifeFlight helicopter from Roma lifted her out.
Neil had been training for Australia's 230-kilometre Larapinta Trail.
- 15 metres
- Fall distance
- 18 kilograms
- Backpack weight
- 15 kilometres in 6 hours
- Volunteer hike
- 50 degrees
- Slope angle
Why it mattersThe story shows how satellite devices and trained volunteers can mean the difference in remote wilderness rescue. They can turn a minor mishap into a tragedy, or prevent it entirely.
AustraliaThe incident underscores the risks of solo hiking on remote Australian trails and the critical role of satellite communicators and rescue volunteers in saving lives.
