A teenager who drifted out to sea off the coast of Bundaberg has been rescued after being spotted by a passing civilian helicopter.
The teenager was seen getting blown offshore due to strong winds at around 2.30 pm on Sunday.
The civilian helicopter crew first spotted the paddleboarder roughly two kilometres from the beach and they circled before directing the Bundaberg-based LifeFlight rescue helicopter to his exact location.
Wearing only a pair of shorts, the teenage paddleboarder seemed to be suffering from hypothermia, and a rescue crewman was winched into the water below.
A rescue strap was fastened to the teen and both were winched into the aircraft.
The rescue chopper then landed at a nearby oval where the patient was assessed by the LifeFlight critical care doctor and a Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) flight paramedic where he was treated for mild hypothermia.
No further medical intervention was required and hospital transport was not needed.
The Bundaberg-based LifeFlight crew flew 416 missions during the past financial year and undertook 36 search and rescues, read more here.
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