By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
An elderly woman was airlifted to the hospital on Wednesday 7 August, after her vehicle hit an embankment and rolled onto its side, leaving her trapped in the car.
The incident took place around 2.20pm, emergency services were called to rescue the single vehicle on Sherbrooke Road in Kallista.
Emergency services, including Ambulance Victoria, Monbulk CFA, Kallista-The Patch CFA, Sassafras-Ferny Creek CFA, and Victoria police attended the scene.
Monbulk CFA captain Glenn Hickingbathom was one of the CFA crews at the scene.
“Our rescue crew worked to extricate her in close conjunction with Ambulance Victoria, who had MICA paramedics and HEMS (helicopter emergency medical service) paramedics there as well,” he said.
“The HEMS chopper landed at the Kallista Primary School (which was half a kilometre away from the scene), then paramedics were transported up to the scene – we worked with them to rescue the woman who was trapped in a tricky position, she was partly protruded from the car and that was what made it extra difficult.”
Mr Hickingbathom said the crews worked for over an hour to extract her from that difficult position.
“[The driver was believed to be driving] on low speed on a hairpin bend on Sherbrooke Road, when she hit into the embankment,” the CFA captain said.
“She had cuts and abrasions, but she was conscious the whole time and was able to talk to us and work with us to try to get her out of there.”
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said paramedics were called to the incident.
“A woman in her 90s with upper and lower body injuries was airlifted to The Alfred, believed to be in a stable condition,” the spokesperson said.
“It was a difficult rescue, but we worked really well and I’m really proud of the crew,” Mr Hickingbathom said.
“All services worked extremely well together, and it’s fantastic to see cohesion and communication between the emergency services to get the best outcome.”
The Alfred Hospital confirmed the woman was in a stable condition on Friday 9 August.
