Five Times Revived

To Richard, its his community's lifeline.

Opal mining RFDS Central Operations Andamooka

To Richard, it’s the health and wellbeing of the Andamooka community.

More than three decades ago, Richard Hawkins settled in the SA outback town of Andamooka, renowned for its harsh environment and extreme climatic conditions, to pursue opal mining.

One summer, Richard fell victim to extreme dehydration and he collapsed, triggering a prompt response from the RFDS.

“I had consumed far more water than I was supposed to and apparently what happened was I had flushed all my electrolytes out. My brain stopped talking to my heart and my heart stopped.”

Watch the video to find out more.