Midnight journey rescues injured coal ship worker
A 44-YEAR-OLD crew member from a foreign bulk coal carrier was transported to shore by Volunteer Marine Rescue, after suffering oil burns to both his hands.
VMR skipper Don Bowden said his crew and a Queensland Ambulance Service paramedic set out just before midnight on Friday to retrieve the injured man.
He said it was about a five mile journey to the anchored freighter and sidling alongside to collect the worker was difficult.
"You've got to wait for the right time to get the gangway, like a stairway, down," Mr Bowden said.
"It's a little bit difficult."
He said they returned to Mackay Harbour at about 2.30am Saturday morning.
The injured worker was then taken to Mackay Base Hospital.
A QAS spokesman explained a helicopter was not tasked to the job because of fog and because the freighter had a weight limit.
Mackay Base Hospital have been contacted for an update on the patient.
It is not known which company the freighter belonged to.
