Popular Brett Climo makes his exit from The Flying Doctors this week in one of the series' most dramatic episodes.
After doubts about his profession, Dr David Ratcliffe decides to leave the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and medicine, for good. In his last days at Coopers Crossing, he attempts a rescue attempt on a cliff face - and finds his own life hanging in the balance.
An experienced rock climber, David lowers himself by rope to reach an injured man. When Dr Geoff Standish (Robert Grubb) and Nurse Kate (Lenore Smith) lower a stretcher down, it becomes snared on a rock. "David attempts to go across to free it and that's when he gets into difficulty." Brett says.
"He has his foot in the safety rope but falling rocks knock him off balance, and he's left hanging upside down dangling." With Geoff and Kate watching helplessly above, David realises he may be facing death.
"I worked closely with the director Catherine Marshall because I really wanted to have a close-up on his face. I asked if I could have that moment. I wanted to show a different side to the character. I've chosen to play him as a closed sort of person who is always totally in control."
"With this, his foot starts slipping from the rope and he is aware that he is probably facing death. You see the shock of finding himself in that situation, then the terror in his eyes and the panic."
As an actor, I tried to show it all. It's a very compelling moment, I think. I had a similar moment in the Vietnam mini-series where the character I was playing was standing on a mine and realised he was in a life or death situation."
"As an actor, you've got to make the most of those moments. This episode is definitely among the best moments in my career."
David falls to a ledge below, with Geoff and Kate frantically attempting to reach him. The big question is whether David will survive.
