A Mines Rescue Team from Kestrel mine, near Emerald in Central Queensland, has won third place at the International Mines Rescue Competition in Poland.
The result was announced in the Polish city of Katowice on Friday night, and it places the Kestrel Mines Rescue Team among the world’s best in a simulated rescue situation.
The event ran for one week and saw 21 other rescue teams from 13 different counties compete for a top position. It involved a series of practical and theoretical tests spread over two days.
Kestrel Mine’s general manager John Coughlan said he was “incredibly proud” of the effort.
“The team has trained hard to perform at international standards since they were invited to the world competition in 2012, as the first team to win all three Australian rescue competitions open to Queensland mines,” Mr Coughlan said.
The team’s captain Derrin Powell said, “We are absolutely thrilled with third place, behind the local full-time rescue teams from Poland and Slovakia”.
“The experience wasn’t without its challenges as we hadn’t used most of the equipment before and needed the help of a translator to assist with the language barrier between English and Polish,” Mr Powell said.
“The team trained hard and tried to make the most of the time we had to familiarise ourselves with the different rules and equipment in the days leading up to the competition.
“It’s a great feeling to be one of the top three teams after two days of competition that tested our practical application of skills like emergency medical aid as well as the theory behind rescue services in mining … It has been an honour to represent our colleagues at Kestrel Mine and we look forward to returning home to Australia and sharing what we have learnt.
“Rescue teams have an essential role to play in any mining operation and we are lucky to say we have one of the world’s best looking after our people at Kestrel Mines.
“We look forward to welcoming the team home and celebrating their achievements.”
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