I'm pretty certain there were mentioned of some disability even on this thread not long after the accident, although clearly the searches done by several indicate otherwise...
QAS speaking on scene wouldn't necessarily identify fractures - they don't have Xray vision. Fractures may have been identified once he went to hospital and had proper scans of the relevantly injured areas.
Neck and head injuries = facial grazes
Acute respiratory failure can occur if a person aspirates water. It's why the Bondi Rescue guys tell people to go and see a doctor if they've swallowed sea water.
I'm not saying it doesn't sound ridiculous, because it does, but medical language sounds way more serious than plain-speak. The QAS officer naturally will speak plainly to media who will commonly mis-quote when technical jargon is used (I'm looking at you GCB).
The lawyer may be exaggerating a little, but essentially what the QAS officer said and what the lawyer claimed are pretty much the same thing (minus the fractures which of course can't always be determined on scene).
Try this one: "The victim suffered contusions to his arm and lacerations to his legs. Rhinorrhea was identified, while paramedics also had to assist with removal of cerumen from the ear. Epistaxis followed lachrymation, whilst the victim complained of paraesthesia to his fingers."