The Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter crew attempt a rooftop rescue of a woman and child in Esk Valley during Cyclone Gabrielle. Video /
Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust
Being winched from a helicopter down to the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle landed a local paramedic amid some of the worst devastation he had seen in 20 years.
Steve Lynch has been with the Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter for four years and has two decades of experience as a St John paramedic. He couldn’t believe the level of devastation he saw flying into Esk Valley on February 14.
The first few hours were spent rescuing people from the flood water and off rooftops in the valley, and then Pakowhai.
Paramedic Steve Lynch said he couldn’t believe the level of devastation he saw flying into Esk Valley on 14 February.
“As we were flying around we were seeing more and more people stranded on rooftops. They were cold and wet and we needed to get them out as soon as possible,” he said.
It was non-stop for the team and they were grateful for the assistance from other rescue helicopters who flew in to help from Taupō, Gisborne, Hamilton and Dunedin.
Lynch said attending to people in their hour of need was incredibly rewarding.
“They might be in tremendous pain or respiratory distress and sometimes we put them into a drug-induced coma and on a ventilator and fly them directly to a critical care facility.
“However, the medical training is only part of what we do. We’re quite often put into an austere environment, rescuing hunters, trampers or those in the water. You’re lowered down, dealing with the patient’s medical needs, and then securing them to be winched up into the helicopter.”
Saturday, July 8 marks International Paramedics Day to celebrate and acknowledge the vital work they do, such as the four critical care paramedics at the Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust.
The Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter crew make one of many rooftop rescues in Esk Valley.
These paramedics are often winched down into some of the most remote locations, providing urgent medical care in what can be life-threatening situations.
Members of the public are more likely to meet a paramedic on the ground than hanging from a helicopter. But often the situation is still fraught.
Paramedics make a real difference to people’s lives, said Andrew Nwosu, Te Whatu Ora chief allied health professions officer in Hawke’s Bay.
“Paramedics are a critical profession within allied health and to the health workforce. They are the first point of contact for patients who dial 111, providing assessment, treatment and diagnosis for a wide range of conditions,” Nwosu said.
The Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter team assists in about 400 missions each year, or 35 a month. In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, the team completed 105 jobs in February alone.
They also regularly transport people to Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s Emergency Department.
The Rescue Helicopter Trust general manager Ian Wilmot said it’s thanks to government funding in recent years that they’ve been able to build up their team of four critical care paramedics, four crewmen and four pilots. The team operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is free of charge to everyone in the community.
