Despite working for more than 20 years in some of the outback’s harshest conditions, an unbearable stabbing chest pain was unchartered territory for Trevor.
As a Senior Instrumental and Electrical Technician for Beach Energy in the Cooper Basin on the edge of the Simpson Desert, 55-year-old Trevor was well versed to the challenges of working out bush.
But in late 2024, he woke up “not feeling 100 per cent”. It was almost at the end of his two-week ‘swing’ at work and just before a planned six-week family holiday.
Initially, Trevor kept going about his day, putting it down to dehydration and indigestion.
“The weather had been extremely hot, so I thought that maybe I was a little dehydrated,” Trevor said.
“I went and had my usual morning coffee and the feeling went away.”
Two days later, Trevor returned from a big day in the field, still feeling flat.
Despite water, electrolytes and aspirin, Trevor’s symptoms quickly escalated that night.
He began feeling a stabbing pain directly under his rib cage that repeated all the way across his chest.
“My priority at front of mind was finishing up my swing so I could get home and go on my extended break with my family,” he said.
It was at this point I started thinking, ‘Something is definitely not right here.’
Trevor, Beach Energy employee
Trevor raised the alarm with the Beach Energy medics nearest to his camp, who after conducting an electrocardiogram (ECG) on Trevor, organised a medical evacuation via helicopter 160km to Moomba, the main base for Cooper Basin operations.
Upon arrival at Moomba Clinic, Trevor was given medication with further tests confirming he was likely having a heart attack.
He needed urgent treatment in Adelaide, more than 800km away.
As the RFDS on-call doctor continued to provide support to the Moomba paramedic over the phone, an Aeromedical Retrieval Team comprising a doctor, nurse and pilot was dispatched from RFDS Port Augusta Base.
When the RFDS Team arrived, Trevor’s pain was ongoing and his blood pressure was increasing. Titrating constant IV infusions of artery-opening and blood pressure regulating medications ensured he remained as stable and pain-free as possible during the flight back to Adelaide.
"The RFDS arrived and they gave me strong pain relief, which meant I finally got some reprieve,” Trevor said.
Trevor was rushed into emergency surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he initially had three stents inserted. Doctors then determined he needed a triple bypass, a complex but life-saving procedure.
The surgery was ultimately a success. Trevor was discharged from hospital five days later, just in time for Christmas.
While the family holiday remains postponed, Trevor is now back at work in Adelaide and is anticipating a return to field work at Cooper Basin in the coming weeks.
Despite a long-standing connection with the RFDS, having assisted with various fundraising activities during his career, Trevor never imagined needing to call on the service.
“I’m only 55, reasonably fit and in shape, so I never thought I would be experiencing a heart attack,” he said.
"The RFDS is a lifeline for those of us working in isolated locations. It’s not just a service; it’s a lifesaver.”
Trevor’s employer Beach recently extended its major sponsorship of RFDS SA/NT to support the continual upgrade of Flying Doctor aircraft and life-saving equipment.
First partnering with the RFDS in 2004, Beach’s 21 years of unwavering support makes it RFDS SA/NT’s longest serving major partner.
“Beach’s partnership with the RFDS is built on a shared love and care for the people who live, work or spend time in the regional and remote areas of this great land,” Beach Managing Director and CEO Brett Woods said.
“Our people know firsthand how important this critical service is.”
Learn more about the Flying Doctor.
