Off-duty special forces have been praised for saving a woman who became trapped after a campervan rolled on the Pacific Highway on the NSW Mid North Coast.
Emergency services responded to the crash at Nerong, south of Bulahdelah, at 7:45 on Monday morning.
A woman in her 50s was found trapped in the wreck and suffering a significant arm injury.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Jason Saper said bystanders' fast responses before paramedics arrived "undoubtedly" saved the woman's life.
"Remarkably there were some off duty special armed forces who were on the scene," Inspector Saper said.
"They actually applied a tourniquet to a limb that was bleeding quite heavily."
He said the soldiers were carrying a professional first aid kit and managed to squeeze through a gap at the scene and assist, despite the injured woman initially being inaccessible.
Fire rescue crews cut the roof off the vehicle in order to extricate the woman before she was treated at the scene and flown to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.
All northbound lanes on the Pacific Highway were closed for multiple hours while crews cleared the scene.
Inspector Saper said given the incident happened on a busy highway, he was grateful the outcome wasn't worse.
"We had two ambulance crews and a medical team via helicopter come," he said.
"It was a really big collaborative effort between ourselves, the RFS (Rural Fire Service), fire rescue and police."
Warning to holiday drivers
The accident has prompted a warning to holiday-makers who might be travelling in campervans, caravans or other van models for the first time.
"Given the time of year with the increased traffic on the roads there's always an increased chance of incidents like this," Inspector Saper said.
"Make sure you take regular breaks."
NSW Association of Caravan Clubs secretary Anne Carragher said drivers must remember not to overload their vehicles.
"It's very important to know the weight, the masses and the pay loads," Ms Carragher said.
"If your van is overloaded or loaded incorrectly, meaning too much weight at either end … you don't have the same control if something happens."
