00:00A complex mission is underway to rescue an injured hiker who's fallen down a rock slope
00:18in the bush in northeast Tasmania.
00:20A medical team hauls the patient back up in a stretcher.
00:29But it's not a real mission, it's a simulation of what can and does happen when things go
00:36wrong in remote parts of the world.
00:39Once I was in a stretcher it was all really good, my left leg had a bit of a bend in it
00:44and that was quite comfortable but my right leg was locked out.
00:48A group of 18 working doctors, paramedics, nurses and outdoor guides are taking part in
00:53the University of Tasmania's expedition medicine course.
00:58They expand their comfort zones and they get the context of how they might try to apply
01:01what they already know to an uncontrolled environment.
01:05The activities are kept secret from participants to make them feel more realistic.
01:09We were absolutely sprung into a scenario.
01:12One of the participants came running into the hall and she's like,
01:16however quickly, quickly come help and all of us were caught off guard eating dessert.
01:22The course is compulsory for doctors in the Australian Antarctic Division.
01:26We need to be able to protect ourselves and then be able to get to the patient and run
01:31through a system where we're giving medical care but not necessarily in a clinic or with
01:37all of the equipment that we might normally have.
01:40The skills taught in this course are invaluable in places such as Tasmania where accidents
01:45in the bush are frequent.
01:47People who take part come away with skills such as abseiling, improvising medical and rescue
01:52equipment and managing medical emergencies outside the traditional clinical setting.
01:58Last year on Tasmania's Franklin River, rescuers were forced to amputate the leg of a rafter
02:04who'd slipped and become stuck between rocks.
02:08The man survived the unprecedented underwater operation.
02:12One of the rescuers had previously done the UTAS course.
02:16No one would practice those extraordinary things that they had to do, but the framework
02:23of approach that is very, very applicable.
02:28After a full day of activities for the course participants, a surprise scenario kicks in.
02:33Chris!
02:34Jesse!
02:35Four members of the group didn't make it back to base camp.
02:40They're pretending to be lost and unconscious back in the bush.
02:43The others have to find and rescue them.
02:46Honestly, if we stick on the path and just make sure we're extra vigilant looking around,
02:52then that might be our safest bet.
02:55They call off the search at 2.30 in the morning.
02:57We managed to save one.
02:59One of the patients simulated passing away and then we couldn't find the other two, unfortunately.
03:05But that's where the learning came in.
03:07The learning has been the scenario.
03:08It's being able to bring everybody's knowledge together to be able to problem solve and to
03:14safely get an outcome.
03:16working as a team to learn life-saving skills before applying them in the wilderness.
03:22Well, that's probably the one who's out there.
03:23Oh God.
03:23Well, thank you.
03:24I'm going to move on.
03:24Let's go.
03:25I was hoping to choose and say everybody knows what to be able to find.
03:25There he said never to be able to find a solution in the wilderness.
03:26I've been to work from any one of my friends.
03:27Yeah.
03:28You don't.
03:29I just want to choose and say you're good to know what is all around me.
03:30Well, we're going to be able to see the way of coming.
03:30And you are going to be able to find the way of what is there.
03:33I've been able to come up with it.
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