Coast keeps rescue crew busy

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The East Coast was once again a high-demand destination for the six missions completed last week by the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter.

The schedule of flights for the week starting Monday, October 16, began that day when the team responded to a 5pm call to a medical event at Hicks Bay. The patient was flown in a stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

At 9.30am on Wednesday, they set off for Te Whare Hauora o Ngāti Porou/Te Puia Springs Hospital. The patient, suffering a medical event, was also in a stable condition when flown to Gisborne Hospital.

At midday on Thursday, the team were called to a trauma at Te Araroa and once again the patient was flown in a stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

Friday brought two missions — the first (12.47pm) an inter-hospital transfer from Te Puia Springs Hospital to Gisborne Hospital; the other (2.40pm) a medical event at Anaura Bay, where the patient was stabilised before being flown in a critical condition to Gisborne Hospital.

On Saturday (6.11pm), the team returned to Te Araroa in response to a medical event. The patient was flown in a stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.