Incredible footage has captured the moment a man called triple-0 after he broke his back in three places in a horror paragliding accident he’s since called “the worst situation of (his) life”.
Hawaii-born Gold Coast university student Maverick Robbins was left slumped over an unstable sand ledge about 260ft down a 330ft cliff after he crashed at Rainbow Beach in Queensland, Australia while paragliding.
Legs dangling off the 20m drop, Robbins had broken his back in three places and couldn’t feel his legs.
Footage has captured the moment he called Triple-Zero as he winced in pain.
“What do I do? Shoot,” he said while waiting for the operator.
“I am at Rainbow Beach paragliding on the south side. I’ve crashed the paraglider in the sand,” Robbins told the operator.
“I am at Rainbow Beach paragliding … I’m on the sand dune, I think I need a helicopter.”
His friend and fellow paraglider, Vinny Brazier, knew something was wrong when he flew past Robbins who didn’t give him a thumbs up when asked if he was okay.
“I ran over to Mav to assess his condition. I helped adjust his legs, so he had a better perch on the small bush and the sand that was holding him up,” Brazier said.
Queensland Fire Department crews and a LifeFlight rescue helicopter rushed to the scene, with Robbins and Brazier both watching the helicopter approach on a flight radar app.
“When the sounds of the chopper came overhead, it was the biggest relief,” Robbins said.
He was able to be winched to safety by the LifeFlight team and rescue crews, who he said “undoubtedly” saved his life.
“They are real-life superheroes,” he said.
Robbins said he experienced a lot of thoughts and emotions as he was winched up to safety.
“I was thinking how lucky I was to be in a country with rescue helicopters,” he said.
“The final scene of the Hunger Games was playing in my mind when Katniss was winched into the helicopter.
“What they did for me gave me a second chance at life.”
He said he wanted to become a helicopter pilot as a child, which was now something he has to do.
Three months later, Robbins was able to paraglide for the first time since the crash, as well as reunite with his QFD and LifeFlight rescuers.
“I don’t think we should live in fear. And I think we need to do things that make us feel alive and that we love to do,” he said.
“I know that there are risks for paragliding but for me to not fly again would be much more of a loss. It’s great to be back doing something that I love.
“LifeFlight managed to get me out of the worst situation of my life. I’m just stoked to be alive.”
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