The Aerocool Rescue Helicopter carried out 49 life-saving missions within the Coastal Bay of Plenty region over the month of February. These missions included 27 inter-hospital transfers, 5 medical events, 8 rural/farm incidents, 1 motor vehicle accidents, and 8 miscellaneous missions.

This year is off to a busy start for the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter which has completed 8 more missions compared to last January and February, which is a 7.4% increase in life saving missions.

The Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was most often seen at Tauranga Hospital with 12 inter hospital transfers, and Whakatāne Hospital with 7 inter-hospital transfers. Other hotspots the rescue helicopter crew were required in included Whangamata, Matakana Island, Motiti Island and many other remote and challenging locations to provide life-saving care in time critical situations.

The month began with the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter being dispatched to Tauranga Hospital for a female who was experiencing a serious medical event requiring further treatment. The patient was airlifted to Waikato Hospital with a flight time of under 30 minutes.

On Wednesday morning, February 5th, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Whangamata for a patient who was in critical condition. The patient was treated on scene by the onboard Critical Care Flight Paramedic for approximately 50 minutes before being stable enough to be flown. The patient was airlifted to Waikato Hospital to receive further treatment.

That afternoon, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Matakana Island for a male who had sustained injuries. The patient was flown to Tauranga Hospital for further medical care.

On Thursday evening, February 6th, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was tasked to Waihi for a male who was in critical condition. The patient was stabilised on scene for approximately one hour by the onboard Critical Care Flight Paramedic before being flown to Waikato Hospital for further treatment. The flight time from Waihi to Waikato Hospital was 20 minutes.

In the early hours of Friday morning, February 7th, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was tasked to Motiti Island for a female who was experiencing a serious medical event. The patient was treated on scene by the onboard Critical Care Flight Paramedic for

approximately 35 minutes before the crew loaded her into the rescue helicopter and transported her to Tauranga Hospital for further medical treatment.

In the early hours of Wednesday 12th, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Whakatane Hospital for a male who sustained crush injuries to his hand after an incident. The patient was flown to Waikato Hospital to receive further treatment.

On Thursday afternoon, February 13th, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Kawerau for a male who sustained potentially life-threatening injuries after a significant fall. The patient was treated on scene for approximately an hour and half by the onboard Critical Care Flight Paramedic before the rescue helicopter crew flew the patient to Waikato Hospital for further medical care.

On Tuesday evening, February 18th, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was tasked to Whakatane Hospital for a female who had sustained a serious head injury after a water related incident. The patient was transported to Middlemore Hospital to receive further medical care.

On Thursday afternoon, February 20th, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Pirongia for a female who was experiencing a medical event. The patient was treated on scene for approximately 30 minutes before being flown to Waikato Hospital for further medical treatment.

The Aerocool Rescue Helicopter regularly performs up to 4 missions in one day, and on February 22nd the rescue helicopter crew did just that. First the rescue helicopter was dispatched to Ruatoki for a male who was in an immediately life-threatening condition following a motor vehicle accident. The patient was stabilised on scene for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes before being swiftly airlifted to Waikato Hospital to receive further medical care.

Later that day, the rescue helicopter crew flew to Matarangi to assist a male who was in critical condition. The patient was treated on scene for approximately 30 minutes before being airlifted to Waikato Hospital for further medical care.

Then later that evening, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was tasked to Nukuhou for a patient who was experiencing a time-critical medical condition. The patient was stabilised on scene by the onboard Critical Care Flight Paramedic for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes before being swiftly flown to Waikato Hospital for further medical care.

Then the rescue helicopter crew were tasked to Waihau Bay for a male who was experiencing a serious medical event. The patient was stabilised on scene for approximately 30 minutes before being flown to Whakatane Hospital for further treatment.

The month ended with the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter being dispatched to Rotorua Hospital for a male who was experiencing a serious medical event. The patient was flown to Waikato Hospital to receive further medical treatment with a flight time of approximately 30 minutes vs a time of 1 hour and 35 minutes by road.

The fast response of the rescue helicopter and its highly trained crew ensures the patients receive the best care as quickly as possible. Help us gear up… Donate towards essential life saving equipment for your Aerocool Rescue Helicopter today at

https://give.rescue.org.nz/event/aerocool-rescue-helicopter/donate

© Scoop Media