Work accidents keep Westpac Rescue Helicopter Busy
The Wellington based Westpac Rescue Helicopter responded to two separate work accidents today and a medical emergency.
At around 1030 this morning the helicopter was sent to a logging accident north of Himatangi. At the scene the
helicopter crew found a Bulls resident (don't have his age) suffering from neck and head injuries. He was apparently
struck by a log. The patient was transported to Palmerston North Hospital Emergency Department in a stable condition.
As the helicopter arrived back at Wellington Airport it was called to Paraparaumu to transport an elderly resident who
had suffered cardiac arrest (their heart had stopped) and was revived by Wellington Free Ambulance staff. The patient
was in critical condition and was transported to Wellington Hospital Emergency Department.
When the helicopter arrived on the roof at Wellington Hospital it was asked to respond to Trentham for another workplace
accident. When they arrived the crew found a 43 year old Wellington man who had injured himself on a building site. The
man had major bleeding and airway damage from a crow bar hitting him in the neck. . He was in a serious and unstable
condition and was being sent to theatre for an operation almost immediately after arriving at Wellington Hospital ED at
2:15pm.
A Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic was on all three flights.