A British tourist has been flown to hospital after her leg was degloved in a yacht accident in the Whitsundays on Saturday.
The 53-year-old woman from Birmingham had been aboard a 24-metre tourist yacht called the British Defender when her leg became caught in a rope.
The woman was then dragged along the deck of the boat, smashing into handrails and equipment before her lower leg was degloved about 4.30pm, according to an RACQ CQ Rescue crew spokesman.
A rescue helicopter was dispatched from Mackay and landed on Whitehaven Beach where medical staff got into an inflatable boat to reach the yacht, which was about 500 metres offshore.
They gave the woman pain relief and transported her back to the beach and into the aircraft.
The woman, in a stable condition, arrived at Mackay Base Hospital about 7.30pm.
The British Defender provides two-day, two-night sailing adventures throughout the Whitsundays and caters for 28 passengers.
A British Defender spokesman thanked the yacht's crew members and crew from nearby vessels for their quick-acting response to the incident.
"At the moment we are trying to deal with our crew and other passengers," he said.
"It is a very emotional time...right now we have six passengers that I am trying to counsel."
The company were working with water police.