It was a busy start to 2022 for your rescue crew, almost doubling from the previous month. Your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter carried out a total of 56 missions over the month of January, including 22 inter-hospital transfers, 5 rescues, 9 medical events, 6 motor vehicle accidents and 14 were to rural or remote locations. The hotspots where your rescue helicopter crew were seen the most of this month were Rotorua (14), Tongariro Crossing (5) and Turangi (2), and they were even spotted in the Coromandel this month!

New Year’s Day led to your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter transporting a patient from Rotorua Hospital to Waikato Hospital around mid-morning. Later that evening, the helicopter was dispatched to Taumarunui for a patient who had suffered a medical event. The onboard Intensive Care Paramedic provided medical care inflight to Waikato Hospital. On the way back to Taupō the helicopter was diverted to Turangi for a patient suffering from a medical event. The patient was treated at the scene before being flown to Waikato Hospital under the care of the onboard Intensive Care Paramedic (ICP).

The next day, your onboard crew carried out 5 rescue missions in 12 hours. The first was to Motutere, near Taupō for a trauma patient. Life-saving interventions by road ambulance and the onboard Intensive Care Paramedic were required to save the patient. They were then flown to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition. On the way back to Taupō, the helicopter was tasked to Te Kuiti for a patient suffering from a medical event. The patient was flown to Waikato Hospital. Later that night, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter responded to a callout to Tongariro National Park, where a man in his 50’s had suffered a medical event. Within 20 minutes of being airborne the patient was located and assessed by the onboard Intensive Care Paramedic. Upon returning home, the helicopter was tasked to Rotorua for a young patient who had suffered a medical event. They were airlifted to Waikato Hospital. The final mission of the day was in Minginui for a patient in their 40’s suffering a medical event. They were treated at the scene and flown to Rotorua Hospital.

The next day, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter responded to 2 personal location beacons that had been activated. The first, at around mid-morning, was set off in the Tongariro National Park area for two kayakers. The people were located along the riverbank where the onboard Intensive Care Paramedic and Police SAR were hover off-loaded and the patient was assessed by the Intensive Care Paramedic before being flown to Taupō Hospital. Later that same afternoon, another personal locator beacon was set off, this time in the Putorino area at Shine Falls. A patient had suffered trauma and due to the location of the patient and the terrain, the onboard Intensive Care Paramedic and a Police SAR were winched down to the area. The patient was assessed, and winch extracted in a stretcher with the ICP. Due to spinal injuries, the patient was flown to the Taupō Airport where they were met with the Westpac Air Ambulance to transport the patient to Christchurch Hospital.

A lawnmower roll in Wairakei on January 14 led to the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter assisting a man who had sustained serious injuries when he rolled his lawnmower down a gully. The patient was provided treatment at the scene and flown to Waikato Hospital for further care.

A tramper had injured their ankle on the Tongariro Crossing on January 17. The Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was tasked to the job. Once the helicopter arrived at the scene the patient was treated and transported to Rotorua Hospital for further care.

Your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter responded to 2 motor vehicle accidents in one day. The first occurred on the evening of January 21 on SH30, out of Rotorua. One patient was transported via road ambulance to hospital in a stable condition. Later, upon returning home from an inter-hospital transfer from Rotorua Hospital to Waikato Hospital, the onboard crew responded to another motor vehicle accident in Kinleith involving a truck and a car. Due to being so close to the accident the helicopter was able to be at the scene within minutes. The patient was taken via road ambulance to hospital.

At around midday on January 23, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter returned to Wairakei to assist a patient trapped in a vehicle down a 60m bank. Due to the nature of the terrain, the onboard Intensive Care Paramedic was winched down to assess the patient. The patient was treated at the scene before being airlifted to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.

The month of January ended just as busy as it began for your rescue crew. On January 30, the helicopter was tasked to Whangamata for a woman in her 70’s who had sustained a serious arm injury falling from her mountain bike. She was flown to Waikato Hospital. The next day, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter responded to a callout to the Tongariro Crossing for a patient who had suffered trauma from a fall. The crew were able to land off to the side of the track and the onboard Intensive Care Paramedic assessed and treated the patient before they were flown to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.

Your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter relies on generous donations to help fund these life-saving missions. Give the gift of time this summer and donate to your rescue helicopter crew at www.rescue.org.nz.

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