A 17-year-old girl has been winched to safety after spending several hours trapped in the wreckage of her ute following a serious crash on a remote country road near Tamworth in New South Wales.
Crash details and initial response
The single-vehicle accident occurred on Barry Road in Nundle at approximately 9am on Monday. Emergency services arrived to find the ute had left the road and crashed down a steep embankment, with the vehicle splitting in two. The tray was located further up the hill, while the mangled cabin contained the teenage driver, who suffered suspected spinal injuries.
Paramedics, firefighters, State Emergency Service (SES) personnel, and police attended the scene. They initially set up a winch system along the curve of the road, planning to carry the driver up the rough terrain. However, after several hours, the rescue strategy changed.
Helicopter rescue operation
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called in to hoist the injured driver from the bottom of the embankment. The helicopter crew carefully positioned the aircraft near the tree line to raise the patient, accompanied by a paramedic crew member. The delicate rescue operation to free her lasted more than four hours.
Once extracted, the girl was flown to Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney in a serious but stable condition.
Road closure and investigation
Barry Road was closed for most of the day as the rescue unfolded but has since reopened to traffic. Police investigations into the cause of the crash are continuing.
