Ironic twist on trail ride

THE last thing on the mind of Grafton woman Colleen Hinds as she set out on a two-week fundraising trail ride for the Westpac helicopter was needing the helicopter’s services herself before the end of the trip.

That’s exactly what happened on Tuesday when Mrs Hinds fell from her horse and needed to be airlifted to Lismore Base Hospital.

Mrs Hinds, 45, was participating in the Clarence Valley Trail Riders’ annual ‘Travelling Grannies’ tour, which involved a group of women aged from 45 to 72 covering more than 220km on horseback over two weeks through bush trails around Kyogle and Casino.

The trip was aimed at raising money for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter through donations and sponsorship.

During Tuesday’s stage of the journey at a property north-west of Tabulam, the tail of Mrs Hinds’ packhorse became tangled in a barbed wire fence, causing it, along with the horse she was riding at the time, to bolt, forcing Mrs Hinds to jump off at speed.

Mrs Hinds hit the ground, breaking several ribs and sustaining serious bruising.

Mrs Hinds’ companions called triple-0 from a nearby homestead and a 4WD ambulance was dispatched. However, given the rough terrain and distance, the ambulance was cancelled.

In an ironic twist, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Mrs Hinds had been helping raise money for was sent to extract her instead.

“To drive out it would’ve taken us two-and-a-half hours, but it only took them 20 minutes to fly me to the hospital,” Mrs Hinds said.

“It was just unbelievable – there we were out there trying to raise money for the helicopter.”

Although strapped down and in pain at the time, Mrs Hinds remembers the flight well.

“It was just like sitting on a little vibrating bed; you don’t even feel like you’re flying,” she said.

“You know when you first take off in a plane, it makes your stomach go up and down; well this doesn’t, it’s just amazing, it was so gentle.”

The helicopter flew Mrs Hinds to Lismore Base Hospital, where she remained yesterday, bruised, broken, but still thankful her injuries weren’t worse.

“I cried, I was just so devastated it had happened when we still had another 10 days to go on the trip,” she said.

Mrs Hinds said this almost stranger-than-fiction incident highlighted the importance of the helicopter service and also the fact that “you just never know when you might need it”.

Mrs Hinds said she was extremely grateful to the Westpac Helicopter officers who helped her on Tuesday.

“They were absolutely wonderful, they were so gentle and thorough; they give you 200 per cent and look after you really well,” she said.

Mrs Hinds also said she was more determined than ever to support the cause and would hit the trail again for next year’s ride.

Staff from the hospital were keeping Mrs Hinds under observation, but she was expected to be released by the end of the week.

The Travelling Grannies tour was to continue and is scheduled to finish at the Clydesdale Motel in Casino on September 17 with a sausage sizzle, charity auction and entertainment, with all proceeds going to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.