Gisborne’s Eastland rescue chopper flies 11 missions in a week

A Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter air crew officer unloads the stretcher during Friday’s mission to Ruatōria, from where the team flew a patient to Gisborne Hospital. It was one of 11 missions during the week.

It was a week of long runs for the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter in the seven days from October 7.

The rescue chopper was involved in a hectic programme of 11 missions over the seven days.

“The team carried out four inter-hospital transfers that took them from the relatively nearby Whakatāne and Tauranga to the more far-flung Hamilton and Auckland,” Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust interim chairman Ian Parker said.

“The transfers are a critical part of the team’s work. They make sure patients get the care they need, where and when they need it.”

Parker said five medical events formed the bulk of the rest of the mission schedule for the week, which was rounded out by a search and a motor vehicle accident.

The week starting October 7 began at 3pm that day when the team responded to a medical event at Te Araroa, flying their patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

At 6.30pm that day the helicopter was dispatched to assist with a search and rescue at Māhia, where one of a three-person party was unaccounted for. The team were stood down after the person was located.

At 10pm that night they were called to a medical event at Tolaga Bay, from where they flew their patient in serious condition to Gisborne Hospital.

On October 8, at 2am, they were dispatched to transfer a patient in serious condition - after suffering a medical event - from Gisborne to Tauranga Hospital.

On October 9, at 8.30am, they responded to a medical event at Rere, flying their patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital. Later that day they were dispatched to transfer a patient in serious condition after suffering a trauma from Gisborne to Auckland Hospital.

On October 10, at 1pm, the chopper responded to a medical event at Piripaua (Tuai), flying their patient in stable condition to Hawke’s Bay Memorial Fallen Soldiers Hospital.

On October 11, at 5pm, the team were dispatched to a medical event at Ruatōria, from where the patient was flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

The next day at 6.50pm saw a return to the East Coast when they responded to a motor vehicle accident at Waihau Bay, flying a patient in stable condition to Tauranga Hospital.

On October 13, at 12.10am, the team were dispatched to transfer a patient in serious condition after suffering a medical event from Gisborne to Whakatane, from where the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter continued the transfer to Waikato Hospital.

The week ended later that day with another inter-hospital transfer, flying a patient in serious condition after suffering a medical event from Gisborne to Waikato Hospital.