UPDATE:

A BUSHWALKER had to be winched more than 30 metres up into the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter late last night after he was injured on a walking track near Airlie Beach.

The 29-year-old Airlie Beach man was coming down a steep but very scenic section of the Honeyeater Trail, part of the Conway Circuit walking track, at sunset when it is believed he tripped and fell breaking his ankle.

RACQ CQ Rescue air crewman Shane Bargh said the section of the track was very steep and slippery and in the wet and windy conditions it was too dangerous to carry the injured walker out on foot.

RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked about 7.30pm and arrived on scene less than 30 minutes later where the man was being treated by ambulance officers.

Mr Bargh said safety was of paramount importance with a night winch given the gusty winds and thick canopy of trees, some of which were 50 to 60 foot in height. The helicopter had to orbit the area for some time before finding a suitable location to extract the injured walker.

In a small clearing, the Critical Care Paramedic was winched down about 30 metres to the track to secure the patient into the Airlift Rescue Vest (ARV) before being winched up into the helicopter.

"The winch recovery took about 10 minutes," Mr Bargh said.

The rescue helicopter then refuelled at Proserpine before arriving back at Mackay Airport at 11.47pm.

Although Mr Bargh described the recovery of the bushwalker in these conditions at night as complex, he said the crew conducted regular training for such situations.

EARLIER:

A HELICOPTER buzzing around Cannonvale and Airlie Beach for over an hour last night lit up social media.

Scenes from Apocalypse Now flashed in the minds of some while others feared recently escaped inmates from the Capricornia Correction Centre were on the run in the Whitsundays.

While some joked about asking the chopper pilot to swing by Cedar Creek Falls to see if it was flowing an acquaintance of an injured hiker posted a screen shot of a very swollen ankle.

RACQ CQ Rescue posted after being messaged on Facebook that they were engaged in a rescue of a man with a suspected broken ankle from the Honey Eater lookout above Cannonvale.

Jon Miller posted a screenshot from the Facebook feed of Matty Lorenski who asked the internet at 7pm: "So what's the best way down Honey Eater with a majorly "suspected" broken ankle?"

Queensland Health confirmed this morning a 29-year-old man was airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital and arrived at 12.15 last night.

He was discharged this morning.