Greenlea rescue helicopter's 2020 callouts fly past 2019 record

The Greenlea rescue helicopter airlifted a walker with a broken ankle off Mt Tauhara earlier this month. Photo / Supplied

Taupō's Greenlea rescue helicopter has passed a milestone - overtaking the total number of its 2019 missions in early October.

From January 2019 to December 2019 the helicopter completed 377 missions, and on Sunday, October 11, 2020, it reached the same number, with just under three months of the year still remaining. Last month the helicopter averaged more than a mission per day, notching up 42 callouts for the month and after a quieter spell at the start of October, the past fortnight has been busy.

The helicopter flew three missions alone on Monday, October 5, one to transport an injured person after a vehicle rollover near Mangakino in the early hours. A second mission came in at 7.30am with the crew being tasked to transfer a 32-year-old man who had a heart blockage from Taupō Hospital to Waikato Hospital.

Later on the same day, at 6.05pm the Greenlea helicopter crew was sent to Mt Tauhara where a 60-year-old woman had broken her ankle in a fall while descending the walking track. The onboard intensive care paramedic was winched down to the track through a small opening in the trees. The patient was put in a splint and winched back into the helicopter, then flown to Rotorua Hospital.

On the evening of Thursday, October 8 a man suffered serious injuries at Waikite Valley after being kicked by a horse. The man, in his 70s, was conscious but had a critical brain injury and facial injuries requiring urgent treatment at the scene by the helicopter's paramedic. It was thanks to quick work by the whole team and the ambulance crew that the patient was delivered to Waikato Hospital within an hour of getting the call.

Friday, October 9 proved a busy day. The helicopter was first sent on a morning flight to Panekire Hut near Lake Waikaremoana in Te Urewera Forest. A 21-year-old man had taken a serious fall, hitting his head. He was flown to Taupō Hospital for further treatment. Shortly after, the crew was tasked by Lakes District Health Board to immediately transfer a 26-year-old woman to Waikato Hospital for specialist care.

Later on in the day, the on-duty crew went to Ohakune to collect a 34-year-old man who had had a medical event. He was treated by the onboard intensive care paramedic before being flown to Waikato Hospital.

A mountain biker who had fallen while riding in the Pureora Forest Park was the next recipient of the rescue helicopter's services. On Saturday, October 10 just after midday, the helicopter was sent to the forest park by the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand. The intensive care paramedic was winched down to the track and after providing initial treatment, the biker was winched out and flown to Rotorua Hospital.

Panekire Hut, near Lake Waikaremoana was the scene of another callout, where a 21-year-old man had fallen and hit his head. Photo / Supplied

The next stop was Iwikau Medical Centre on the Whakapapa ski field the same afternoon for a 63-year-old man who had a medical event. He was flown to Waikato Hospital.

On Sunday, October 11 at 9.13am, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was sent to Ruatahuna in Te Urewera, where a 33-year-old woman was treated at the scene for a medical condition before being flown to Rotorua Hospital.

A tramper in trouble was the next callout three days later. The Greenlea rescue helicopter was dispatched in the morning to a beacon search by Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand for a tramper in the Kaweka Forest Park, a 72-year-old man who had suffered from a medical event. He was assessed and then winched into the helicopter and taken to Taupō Hospital.

In the early hours of Friday, October 16 the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew transported a patient from Taupō Hospital's emergency department to Waikato Hospital following a stroke and later that day the on-duty crew transported a patient in her 50's with an acute medical condition from Rotorua Hospital to Auckland Hospital while being monitored by the helicopter's intensive care paramedic.

Last week finished with a flight to the Western Bays area for a critical patient involved in a motor vehicle crash. He was treated at the scene before being flown to Waikato Hospital for immediate medical care, followed the next day by a flight to Whakapapa Skifield to pick up a patient who had had a fall on the mountain, badly breaking his ankle.