Wellington Westpac Helicopter Rescues Stabbed Man
The Wellington based Westpac Rescue Helicopter rescued a man who accidentally stabbed himself.
The 56 year old Papakowhai man was hunting with his son at Terawhiti Station, on Wellington's West Coast, near Makara.
As we understand it he accidentally stabbed himself while trying to cut the throat of an animal (we believe a goat) he
had just shot. The knife slipped causing a large and deep wound to his right leg. The man's son was able to raise the
alarm to 111 by cellphone.
Wellington Free Ambulance received the 111 call at about 8:45am and dispatched the helicopter due to the remote location
of the injured hunter. The helicopter, with a WFA paramedic onboard, reached the man just after 9:00, and had him back
to Wellington Hospital by about 9:25am.
Westpac Rescue Helicopter crewman Jon Leach says "The son did an excellent job of guiding us to their position via
cellphone. We had the man back to hospital within about 30 minutes of taking off, much less then the two to three hours
it would have taken a 4 wheel drive team to rescue him by road".
The man is currently in Wellington Hospital Emergency Department being treated and assessed .
This is the second time this year that the Wellington Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to assist a hunter who
stabbed himself. On May 25th a 22 year old Wellington man stabbed himself in the buttocks while pig hunting near Long
Gully.