Former Hawke’s Bay farmer rescued by helicopter he has supported since the 1990s

Former Hawke’s Bay farmer Stuart Brenchley has fundraised for the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter yet had never used the service himself until he was in a car crash after Christmas.

Since the 1990s Brenchley has been an advocate for the need for rescue services in remote and rural areas.

For 20 years he has helped run the Top Of The Ridge Horse Trek, an annual fundraiser for Hawke’s Bay’s Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter.

Difficult access meant the Trust Tairawhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter had to land in a nearby paddock.

Then, Brenchley who had only recently returned from Hawke’s Bay to live and work on a farm inland from Gisborne, experienced the life-saving service that his donations had gone towards all those years.

While travelling home on a gravel road near Rere School just three days after Christmas, Brenchley experienced the sudden onset of an absent seizure, and lost consciousness.

“My partner tried to grab the wheel but it all happened too quickly, the ute crashed through a fence and barrelled down a bank down to a creek.

“If the ute had rolled we’d have been in big trouble. Or if it happened a hundred metres up the road we’d have been in big trouble, too.”

The location of the crash meant that the couple was left down a bank badly injured, with no cellphone service and Brenchely’s wife, who was “rag-dolled so had lots of little injuries”, had to climb the bank and wave down another vehicle for help.

“The (Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue) helicopter got there first, followed by an ambulance, fire service and police. If someone had brought a box of beer we could have had a party,” he said.

The pair were treated at the scene and transported to Gisborne Hospital and fortunately, were released that night, sore but extremely grateful for the quick reactions from the helicopter.

“As soon as I’m well enough to smack over a deer I’ll be dropping some venison off at the hangar, and a donation for the Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust as well.”

The holiday period had been a busy period for the helicopter as in the week from 12.01am on December 27 to midnight on January 2 it flew a dozen completed missions, from a sea search and a car crash to medical, trauma and transfer events.