Kayden Hall and dad Ryan at the Northland Rescue Helicopter base to thank the crew that flew them after the crash.
Photo / Supplied
Kayden Hall and dad Ryan at the Northland Rescue Helicopter base to thank the crew that flew them after the crash.
Photo / Supplied
The Northland Rescue Helicopter recorded its busiest year on record in 2021 with nearly 1300 flights.
The 1289 flights compares to 1115 in 2020 and 953 flights in 2019.
On Wednesday last week, a record nine missions were undertaken, with all three Sikorskys in action.
Year 9 student Kayden Hall was one of the injured Northlanders flown in a Northland Rescue Helicopter from Ruakākā to Starship Hospital in Auckland after a two-vehicle crash in April 2021.
He does not remember much of the chopper ride but remembers a medic talking to him through the chopper ride and asking him about rugby and his favourite position.
A ute carrying Kayden and a truck collided on Pokapu Rd near the intersection with One Tree Point Rd. The driver of the ute died at the scene.
After the medics were able to stabilise Kayden and give pain relief, he and his father Ryan were flown to Starship where they remained for a week.
"The crew on the chopper were incredible to say the least. They made sure at all times Kayden and I were able to see each other and kept us up to date with what was happening," Ryan said.
The father and son have since met their pilots and medics to say thanks for their love and care.
Northland Rescue Helicopter flew a record 1286 flights last year and demand for the service keeps rising.
Photo / Peter de Graaf
Northland Emergency Services Trust chair Paul Ahlers said the record numbers highlighted the importance of having a world-class air ambulance service available for the people of Te Tai Tokerau day and night.
Since the charity was launched in 1988, he said there have been well over 22,000 flights and was growing each year.
"Our team could not do that work 24/7 without the support of the other emergency services and lifeline groups in Northland, not to mention the volunteers within those organisations and members of the Northland community who constantly look out for each other.
Northland Rescue Helicopter chief executive Craig Gibbons said with the large increase in visitors to the region over the summer holiday period, people should continue to keep an eye on each other, just as all of the volunteers and first responders remained dedicated to being there for locals and visitors.
Northland Rescue Helicopter's partner, Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter, also announced its busiest year on record.
By midnight on December 29, the helicopter crews had flown 1215 missions, on the back of the 2020 record-breaking total of 1187 flights.
