Rogan Miller, pictured with grandkids Caitlin, left, and Brianna, is a father of three and grandfather of three. Photo / Supplied
Rogan Miller, pictured with grandkids Caitlin, left, and Brianna, is a father of three and grandfather of three. Photo / Supplied
Looking up through the thick bush of Coromandel Forest Park in June, Rogan
Miller watched as a helicopter hovered above, and a man descended by wire.
Minutes earlier, Miller, a married father and grandfather, had told his three tramping companions that, despite the suspected heart attack he was experiencing, hemight be able to walk out of the bush.
He didn't want to cause trouble, Miller said.
His friends - Steve Parkes, Kevin May and David Korff - ignored him, and Miller found himself watching help arrive from above.
"They just said, 'No, that's not going to happen.' My mates made the right call … with the heart, the quicker you respond the better off you're going to be recovery-wise and damage-wise.
"But when I was watching [intensive care paramedic Josh Sanders descend] I was thinking, 'Oh man, please don't injure yourself coming down through the trees.'"
Coromandel Forest Park lived up to its name, with Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter's crew facing a thick canopy of bush during a June rescue. Photo / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust
But the whole rescue by the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter team went so smoothly, Miller said.
After being assessed, Miller said he could walk to a tiny patch of bush wide enough for a winch rescue, and the 54-year-old found himself ascending with Sanders back up through the trees.
The pilot and crew's skills in making sure the pair safely arrived in the helicopter cabin were exceptional, Miller said.
By 2.25pm, Miller, who lives in Whangaparāoa and is the general manager of marketing and sponsorships for VisionWest Community Trust, was at Auckland City Hospital getting a stent to open his blocked artery.
Rogan Miller on the Rees-Dart Track in Mt Aspiring National Park last year. The Whangaparāoa grandfather suffered a heart attack while tramping on Coromandel Peninsula in June. Photo / Supplied
Two days later, he was home.
Almost four months on, Miller's sharing his story to support
An anonymous donor has promised to match every dollar donated up to $250,000 with a dollar of their own, potentially providing a total of $500,000 for the life-saving aerial service.
"I'm not someone who likes doing something like this [sharing my story publicly] but this is the least I can do to help. How everybody came together, it's really incredible ... I feel really blessed."
His health emergency had been unexpected, Miller, who received a clean bill of health in January after a heart attack eight years earlier, said.
He knew he was in trouble after feeling a pain across his shoulder and into his jaw as he and his friends walked to Crosbies Hut.
The group set off Miller's emergency locator beacon and called 111 as Miller focused on staying calm and taking shallow, steady breaths.
"We were all sending a few prayers up at the same time."
Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter intensive care paramedic Josh Sanders, left, and Rogan Miller prepare to be winched out of the bush after Miller suffered a heart attack. Photo / Steve Parkes
Those prayers were answered with the arrival of a bright yellow and red machine and a crew who knew what to do.
It was a textbook rescue, helped by the well-prepared group carrying a locator beacon, Sanders, the paramedic, said.
"We joked that literally everything aligned perfectly. From the time they rang for help to when he was having his artery unblocked was about 90 minutes."
Rogan Miller, pictured with grandkids Caitlin, left, and Brianna, is a father of three and grandfather of three. Photo / Supplied
He's already made his own donation to the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, and encouraged others to do the same, Miller said.
"I'm hoping when people hear the story they'll donate. I feel pretty blown away and blessed that we live in a country that has these services.
"Words can't express, but I want to thank the ARHT team and hospital emergency team for their fantastic work that brought about this successful recovery. This has allowed me to carry on and enjoy my life with my wife, family and grandkids."
• To support the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust visit rescuehelicopter.org.nz or freephone 0800 4 RESCUE (0800 4 737283).
