Rescue helicopter round-up

The Aerocool Rescue Helicopter carried out 25 life-saving missions over the month of November. Photo / Supplied

The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew were busy during November, completing 53 life-saving missions within the Waikato, Coromandel and surrounding areas, providing medical care to patients when they need it most.

These crucial missions included 22 inter-hospital transfers, 16 medical-related incidents, nine rural or farm-related incidents and a big increase of 75 per cent in motor vehicle accidents, with a total of seven missions.

Ten of the 53 missions were to the Coromandel region. This included Thames Hospital and Whitianga, which had three missions each, and Cooks Beach, Matarangi, Waihi, and Whangamata, all of which had one mission.

The rescue helicopter crew responded to a callout for a woman in her 90s who had sustained serious injuries after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. The patient was flown from Whangamata to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, November 5, the helicopter was dispatched to Whitianga for a woman in her 60s who had sustained fracture injuries after falling off her e-bike. The patient was flown to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter uplifting a patient at Matarangi. Photo / Supplied

Westpac’s sister chopper, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter, carried out 25 life-saving missions over the month of November. These missions included seven inter-hospital transfers, eight medical events, six rural or farm-related incidents and four motor vehicle accidents. The missions included three to Waihi and two to Katikati. Overall, there were four missions to the Coromandel in November.

The month started off with the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter responding to a callout in Waihi on November 2, for a woman in her 20s who was suffering pregnancy difficulties. The patient was flown to Tauranga Hospital for further treatment.

On November 5, it was tasked to Waihi for a man in his 30s who had sustained multiple injuries after being involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. The patient was in critical condition and was flown to Waikato Hospital. On November 8, a man in his 80s suffered a cardiac arrest and was in critical condition. The patient was flown to Tauranga Hospital.

On Saturday afternoon, November 26, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Whangamata for a young boy who had sustained injuries after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. The patient was flown to Tauranga Hospital for further treatment.

With the Christmas season just around the corner, Kiwis will be out and about making the most of the warm weather and sunshine. The Aerocool Rescue Helicopter crew will remain on standby all summer so they can be there for patients whenever and wherever they are needed.

Their work is made possible by the generosity of the service’s donors and sponsors. Donations are vital in helping patients when they need it most.

Please donate to your Aerocool Rescue Helicopter today at https://give.rescue.org.nz/.../aerocool-rescue.../christmas