For people throughout the Bay of Plenty, the sound of an approaching helicopter can be a lifesaver - literally.
The TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter made more than 100 flights in the past 12 months, assisting people who had been in head-on collisions, motorbike crashes, forestry incidents and accidents at home. The helicopter transferred patients from hospital to hospital, assisted with police in search and rescue and was involved in Rena response and continued monitoring.
Pilot Art Kowalski said each time the rescue helicopter took to the skies, it cost about $1000 an hour to fuel, plus about $1000 more in maintenance costs. To maintain and operate the service, it cost about $1 million per year.
Westpac Rescue Helicopter ambassador and former All Black centre Frank Bunce was in Tauranga yesterday to mark the eighth annual Westpac Rescue Chopper Appeal. Although he had never needed the services of one, Bunce praised the rescue helicopter for its lifesaving ability.
"Accidents can happen any place, any time, to anyone. I could be next, or it could be you," he said. "There is no official funding and I'd hate to think that this service couldn't get off the ground because there's not enough money to do it."