How the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter saved Geoff’s life

The Aerocool Rescue Helicopter serves Tauranga and the coastal Bay of Plenty.

“I got to say to the crew ... ’you doing your job, to the best of your ability, has helped save my life.’”

Those are the words of a man named Geoff, who was helped by the Tauranga-based Aerocool Rescue Helicopter during a medical emergency.

Geoff and his wife had no idea their world was about to turn upside down. According to a statement from the Philips Search and Rescue Trust, the couple was out enjoying a beach run with their dog, Pablo, but when Geoff bent down to pick him up, a sudden, excruciating pressure built up in his head and he collapsed on the sand.

Understandably, his wife was horrified and tried to get him to their car. But Geoff was so disoriented, he started walking in the wrong direction.

Knowing something was seriously wrong, his wife drove him straight to the nearest medical centre, where a doctor immediately recognised that Geoff was in danger and called 111.

He was taken to Tauranga Hospital but he wasn’t out of danger. Instead, the medical staff suspected he had a brain aneurysm and needed urgent surgery to survive. That would have to be done at Waikato Hospital, a drive of about an hour and 20 minutes.

Time is critical in brain aneurysm cases, with 50% of patients not surviving.

Thankfully, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter came to the rescue and flew Geoff to Waikato Hospital in just 15 minutes. The flight helped save his life, enabling him to get the surgery he needed as quickly as possible. He is now well on the road to recovery.

He has returned to work at EVES Realty, which has been supporting the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter for more than 20 years. Geoff was already donating through the firm’s payroll giving programme.

Eves morning tea at the Aerocool hangar.

Donate to your Aerocool Rescue Helicopter today at https://give.rescue.org.nz/event/aerocool-rescue-helicopter/donate