Editorial: Community digs deep for chopper

Tracey Chatterton.

Accidents happen - and they can happen anywhere, day or night.

You could be mountain-biking down Te Mata Peak, hit a rock and fly over the handle bars; tramping in the Kawekas and slip down a bank; or get into trouble while surfing at Mahia.

The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter responds to jobs like this all the time. A crew is on standby 24/7 to respond to such accidents in Hawke's Bay. Each year the crew completes more than 300 lifesaving missions.

The service is available to everyone, from the man who breaks a few bones on a high-country station to the pregnant woman having complications in Wairoa and needing further care at Hawke's Bay Hospital.

We are lucky that it is free of charge, as the helicopter costs $2.2 million each year to run.

It is thanks to events like the Hastings Karamu Rotary Club charity cocktail night that keep the coffers topped up.

Attendees raised $75,000 for the trust - a significant contribution to the rescue service.

Every little bit helps and so, too, did the $2000 from newlyweds Lorraine and Dean Crafar.

The Napier couple asked guests at their February wedding to forgo gifts and give to the trust instead.

Mrs Crafar was fortunate she and her loved ones had not needed the service so far but it was good to donate because you never knew if you would need it one day.

Unfortunately these accidents sometimes happen to those we love and it's comforting to know there is a reliable rescue service that can help us in our time of need.

It's also heartening that so many in our community dig deep to help others.