Four Missions for Life Flight's Westpac Rescue Helicopter - 10 Feb 2013

Life Flight teams had a busy day with two rescues in the Wairarapa, one rescue in Wellington and one potential rescue in Upper Hutt

Life Flight responded to all four incidents with a Wellington Free Ambulance (WFA) Paramedic onboard the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

Around 12:30 this afternoon the helicopter was sent to a motor cross event in Te Ore Ore, Wairarapa, northeast of Masterton. A 28 yr old Wellington sustained multiple injuries while taking part in a large motor cross event. The man was being cared for by event organisers and WFA Event Medics at the scene. He was stabilised and transported to Wellington Hospital Emergency Department where he was assessed and treated before being admitted to hospital. (Photo attached called motorcross.jpg which is from this scene)

Just before 3pm the helicopter responded to Makara Peak, between Karori and Makara, where a 41 year old Wellington man sustained injuries in a fall from his mountain bike. The man was not seriously injured but the helicopter was sent due to the hard to access location. He was also transported to Wellington Hospital Emergency Department with leg injuries and has since been discharged.

At about 4:30pm the helicopter was sent to an injured tramper in the Tararua Ranges near Mt Holdsworth. A 29 year old Wellington woman injured her ankle and was unable to walk. Her tramping buddy managed to get to a location where he could call 111 – phone reception was poor so establishing her exact location was difficult. The helicopter team found the informant after a search and our WFA paramedic was winched to the track. The paramedic and informant had to walk several hundred metres in steep terrain to reach the woman. Once the paramedic reached the woman he stabilsed her and then carried her to a location where she could be winched out from. The tramping buddy was returned to his car and the woman was transported to Wellington Hospital Emergency Department where she is being treated and assessed.

Whilst heading back to Wellington from the Wairarapa the team spotted a car about 20 metres down a bank on the Rimutaka Hill, St Hwy 2, on the Wellington side of the summit. Although there did not appear to be a broken fence the helicopter was unable to get close enough to ascertain if there was anyone in the vehicle. The car was reported to police who sent a police car to investigate but they were unable to find the car over the bank. Just before 8pm the helicopter returned to the scene with a Police Search and Rescue member who was winched to the car and confirmed there was no one inside. (Photo attached called Rimutaka.jpg showing the police SAR person being winched out of the helicopter). Police shut the Rimutaka Hill Road for about 10 minutes whilst the winch operation took place.

The Life Flight Trust is a charity providing air rescue and air ambulance services. It operates the Wellington based Westpac Rescue Helicopter and a national air ambulance service. It relies on support from the public and sponsorship from partners such as Westpac to provide these services. Further information can be obtained from www.lifeflight.org.nz

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