A PURPOSE-BUILT road at Rio Tinto’s Amrun mine has been used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service for the first time.
The road is used on a daily basis, but was built with a widened section to allow aircraft to land on it.
Cape York Weekly understands this was the first time any type of aircraft has used the strip.
Both the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Rio Tinto were reluctant to provide any details about the landing.
The RFDS cited patient privacy concerns, despite the fact no questions were asked about the identity of the patient.
Rio Tinto confirmed a worker was taken from Amrun to hospital.
“On Thursday, September 15, a contractor was transferred from Amrun to Cairns Hospital as a precautionary measure,” a spokesperson said.
“The contractor was discharged the following day without requiring treatment.
“The safety of our people and contractors is our top priority and we are investigating the incident. We are pleased all emergency response procedures went to plan.”
It’s believed the contractor had back/neck pain and health officials decided it would be better for the patient to be retrieved from Amrun, rather than be ferried across the Embley River in an ambulance.
Questions were also put forward to the RFDS about the procedures of landing at an airstrip for the first time, including refuelling options.
Again, patient privacy was cited as the reason for not providing any answers.
