Eight-mission week for Eastland rescue chopper crew

The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team started their week of missions by responding to a trauma at Ruatōria.

The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter successfully completed eight missions in the reporting week from Monday, March 17.

On that day, at 8.55am, the team responded to a trauma at Ruatōria, flying their patient in a stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

On March 19 they had a 4.30am call-out to a medical event at Pehiri, transferring a patient in a stable condition to the hospital.

Just hours later, at 8.50am, they were dispatched to a medical event at Ruatōria, again taking a patient to Gisborne in a stable condition.

Soon after that, a 11.30am, a patient in a stable condition after suffering a medical event, was flown from Te Kaha to Whakatāne Hospital.

At 9pm on Friday, a patient in a serious condition after suffering a medical event, was transferred from Gisborne to Auckland Hospital.

While returning from Auckland, the crew were refuelling at Whakatāne when, at 1.20am, they were dispatched to a personal locator beacon activation inland from Tolaga Bay. They conducted an extensive search before being stood down and returning to base.

On March 22, at 8.30pm, the chopper team responded to a medical event at Te Puia Springs, flying their patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

To round out the week, at 5am on Sunday, the team attended a medical event at Te Araroa, flying a patient in a serious condition to Gisborne Hospital.