The first recorded emergency air evacuation from Coober Pedy was an opal miner who was flown to Alice Springs Hospital for suspected blood poisoning. Prior to this first air evacuation the ‘Quick Transport of Sick’ article records that it would normally have taken nearly a week to travel to William Creek to meet the train and then a further 2 days on the train before arriving at Port Augusta Hospital.
(Article: ‘Quick Transport of Sick’, Adelaide Chronicle 15/5/1941 courtesy of Coober Pedy Historical Society)
During this period, emergency flight evacuations were provided by the Alice Springs Royal Flying Doctor Service and Gulf Aviation Services based in Whyalla. Patients were air lifted to either Alice Springs or Whyalla for hospitalisation and care.