Editorial: Be a friend to our rescue chopper

Help out the BayTrust rescue chopper because one day you may need them. Photo / File

There is nothing like having friends. They make up an important part of everyone's life and without them you're not quite whole.

You only have to look as far as Facebook to see how important friends are; it's a status thing.

Quite often I'm asked: "How many friends do you have on Facebook?"

And now it's become important for the Rotorua-based BayTrust Rescue Helicopter, which is mid-way through a three-week mission to get more local people to sign up as a friend of the service, to help ensure it continues to provide the much-needed service to the community.

During my time as an ambulance officer, there was no better sight than a rescue helicopter coming to help in a sticky situation.

I remember on one occasion having to call in the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter to help me with five patients involved in a car crash.

Being the lone officer at the scene of a crash in a rural area where I had an unconscious toddler, a trapped driver and three other injured passengers, hearing the whop-whop sound of the approaching helicopter was like sweet music.

The friends scheme provides about a third of the funding required to operate the rescue helicopter service.

It cost more than $600,000 to run a service like the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter, well worth it if you ask me.

You always hope you never have to use the service but it's also piece of mind to know that it's always there when you need it.

If you think you can help this worthwhile cause then contact the Friends office on 0800 111010 or www.rescue.org.nz.