Taupō local, Thomas’ life took an unexpected turn when a terrifying accident left him fighting for his life on the side of an isolated road near Taupō.

“I was bringing a loader back to Taupō on a transport trailer from our base at Poronui, something I’d done a thousand times before.” says Thomas.

Thomas stopped to check his heavy load when tragedy struck. The huge loader slipped off the trailer, trapping Thomas beneath it.

Pinned between the loader cabin pillar – Thomas’ leg was crushed by the pillar... and in those desperate moments, with no phone reception and knowing time was running out, Thomas needed to take matters into his own hands.

"I noticed a pool of blood on the ground getting bigger and I just thought, I'm going to run out of that', so I thought I'd better stop the blood flow.

"It wasn't a very pretty sight, that's for sure." Thomas said.

His survival instincts kicked in, and in a moment of clarity, Thomas used the belt he was wearing to create a tourniquet around his leg to stem the bleeding.

Thankfully a passer-by found him soon after, and immediately called emergency services.

Your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew were soon landing at the scene beside where Thomas lay.

Senior clinician and highly experienced Critical Care Flight Paramedic (CCFP) Rob could immediately see the gravity of the situation.

“Thomas was conscious, his airway was clear, and he was breathing. However, my biggest concern was catastrophic bleeding and so I worked quickly to replace Thomas’ belt with a medical grade torniquet, an IV line of fluids for the blood loss, monitored his vital signs and gave Thomas medication to stop major bleeding. I also administered some pretty powerful pain relief.” explained CCFP Rob.

Thomas was trapped in a very small and tight area within the loader cabin, an extremely challenging environment, and CCFP Rob was using every bit of his extensive training and skills, and years of experience, to keep Thomas alive and stable.

Thomas’ extraction was also a challenge, with fire and emergency crews deploring specialist air bags to lift the loader off him.

Once the loader was off Thomas, CCFP Rob worked quickly to try and save his limb, which had multiple bone breaks and huge wounds. Due to bad weather at the time, and to ensure Thomas quickly got to specialist emergency surgery at Waikato Hospital, CCFP Rob coordinated with the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter to meet them at Taupō airport.

Thanks to generous donors of both the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter and Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Thomas was in extremely good hands, with highly skilled crew and specialist equipment meaning treatment for Thomas began as soon as CCFP Rob reached him and continued right through to landing at Waikato Hospital – in situations like Thomas’ there is no faster way to get to the specialist surgery that he needed.

As a helicopter pilot himself, the physical and emotional journey of recovery that followed for Thomas was challenging, as he had to adapt to a new way of living with a prosthetic leg.

"There wasn't a moment where I was like 'I'm not going to fly'. I would have done whatever it took to get back in the seat."

Now, three years later, Thomas not only defied the odds of survival, but he has just completed his first successful season launching the Kaimanawa Descent, the North Island's first-ever heli-biking trail on private land. This 22-kilometer trail, a joint venture between Helisika, Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust, and the Kaimanawa Trust.

Reflecting on his harrowing experience, Thomas acknowledges the crucial role that the rescue helicopters played in saving his life that fateful day. Without their swift response and life-saving skills and medical treatment both on-site and in the air, his story could have had a very different outcome.

By making a donation, individuals can help ensure that this vital service remains available to save lives in moments of crisis.

In an enormous act of generosity, the team at Greenlea Foundation Trust are matching every dollar donated, up to $300,000, during the Greenlea Challenge to Lift Appeal.

If you want to double the impact for the community, and have your donation go twice as far… donate to the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter and have it doubled by the Greenlea Foundation Trust. Donate today at: https://give.rescue.org.nz/event/greenlea-rescue-helicopter/donate

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