atsb final report released 16 may 2013 - Ambulance Service of NSW

patient and himself directly underneath the winch. Once they were directly belowthe winch, it was intended that the duty paramedic would discard the stabilisingrope and the ACM would then winch them up into the helicopter.The specific construction of the stabilising rope system, including the manner inwhich it would be secured to the rock ledge, was not discussed by the crew duringthe planning stage. The support paramedic and ACM recalled that the dutyparamedic advised that he intended to establish the stabilising rope system using adifferent rope to the tag line. Specifically, the support paramedic recalled intendingto use a red safety line that was part of the roping equipment carried by SCATpersonnel. In contrast, the pilot reported that he understood the duty paramedicintended to use the yellow tag line as a stabilising system.Figure 4: Stabilising rope system (coloured red in this graphic, which issequenced left to right)Source: ATSBThe support paramedic reported that the duty paramedic described the use of thestabilising rope with reference to a similar technique used during a previoushelicopter rescue that was well known to the SCAT paramedics. The supportparamedic stated that he initially expressed concern with the use of that technique,specifically the potential difficulty of arresting the pendulous tendency associatedwith the laterally offset position of the helicopter. The support paramedic reportedthat, following additional explanation of the intended plan by the duty paramedic,he was satisfied that the risk associated with this hazard had been adequatelymitigated.During the planning stage, the ACM advised the crew that he was unfamiliar withthe intended stabilising technique and enquired how the stabilising rope would bedetached once the patient and paramedic were directly under the winch. The ACMreported that the duty paramedic advised that once he and the patient were in thatposition, he would disconnect from and discard the stabilising rope prior to theACM winching them up and into the helicopter (Figure 4).The ACM later reported that he had been assured by the other crew members thatthe rescue plan was not exceptional in emergency medical service (EMS)operations. This was consistent with the doctor’s recollection that, in response to- 4 -