Seven successful missions in a week for Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter

An inter-hospital transfer of a patient from Gisborne to Waikato Hospital (pictured) was one of seven reportable missions completed by the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter in the week from January 21.

The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter’s mission log covered a broad scope of activity in seven missions across seven days.

In the week from January 21, the team’s reportable rescue missions included one trauma, an inter-hospital transfer, three medical events, and two motor vehicle accidents.

The week began with three missions on January 21. The first was an 11am dispatch to a medical event in the Waioeka Gorge, from which they flew a person in stable condition to Whakatāne Hospital.

Later that day at 3.09pm, the team was dispatched to a medical event at Ruatōria, flying a person in a serious condition to Gisborne Hospital.

At 5.07pm, they were called to a motor vehicle accident at Tikitiki, from which they flew a person in a stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

A Hato Hone St John said it was notified of a motor vehicle incident on Tikapa Rd, Tikitiki and confirmed one person in a minor condition was airlifted.

On January 24, Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter carried out a hospital transfer at 2.45pm, transporting a person in serious condition from Gisborne to Waikato Hospital.

The next day at 10.15am, the team responded to a trauma incident at Anaura Bay, flying a person in a stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

On January 27 at 2.30am, the team had an early-hours callout to a medical event at Tikitiki, from which they flew a person in a serious condition to Gisborne Hospital.

Finally, at 4.52pm that day, the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland team was one of three rescue helicopter services dispatched to a motor vehicle accident at Waipunga (Napier-Taupō Road), where they treated two patients who were flown to Rotorua Hospital; one was in a serious condition while the other was stable.

There were four people injured in total in that crash, according to St John, with three left in serious conditions and one in a minor condition.

The road was closed until about 7pm while emergency services worked at the scene between Matea Rd and Pohokura Rd.