Rescue praised

Rescue helicopter pilots see life and death situations every day, but the response to a quad bike accident at the southern end of 90 Mile Beach on Sunday evening made a particular impression on pilot Russell Procter.

The accident, details of which are unknown, inflicted critical chest injuries on a 50-year-old man and his 13-year-old daughter.

Ambulances, two helicopters, a flight paramedic and a large team of emergency doctors and nurses from Whangarei and Kaitaia were involved in saving the pair and getting them to Whangarei Hospital, the teenager going into surgery as soon as she arrived in Whangarei just before 10.30pm. Their conditions yesterday were not available.

The pair were initially taken by ambulance from the crash scene, near Ahipara, to Kaitaia Hospital, while a Northland Electricity rescue helicopter picked up a team of two doctors, two flight nurses and a flight paramedic from Whangarei and flew them to Kaitaia. There they joined two emergency doctors and at least two nurses who were already working on the patients.

Mr Procter said he was in awe of the teamwork he witnessed at Kaitaia Hospital.

"It was really special to see the intensive care team. It was amazing teamwork with four doctors and at least four nurses working on two patients," he said.

"What a great job the doctors and nurses do in this area in these sorts of cases ...

"The rescue chopper is there to get the teams where they need to be, to give people the best possible chance of getting through," he said.