December was a busy month for your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew, with a total of 31 missions being flown, including 9 inter-hospital transfers, 10 medical events, 8 rural/farm rescues and 3 motor vehicle accidents. The most visited locations were Rotorua and Turangi, however, your rescue crew were also seen in Galatea, Tongariro National Park and Mangakino over December.

From mountain biking accidents to quad bike roll overs, your rescue crew remained operational 24/7 throughout the holiday period, so that they could be there for patients when they need. While kiwis are out doing the activities they love over summer, your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew are always on stand-by for anyone who needs them.

On December 8, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter responded to a callout to State Highway 38 for a motor vehicle accident. The patient who had sustained injuries was assessed and treated before being flown to Rotorua Hospital. The following day saw your rescue crew being tasked to Taupō for a patient who had received burns. The patient was flown to Waikato Hospital in a stable condition.

December 10 saw your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew assisting an injured hiker who had fallen on the Waihohonu Walking Track, sustaining a leg injury. The woman in her 20’s was flown to Rotorua Hospital for further treatment. The next day, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to a farm near State Highway 4, south of Raetihi. The patient, a man in his 40’s had injuries that required urgent medical attention, so he was transported to Whanganui Hospital.

A river winch rescue was conducted by your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew on December 19, where a man in his 20’s was experiencing seizures when tramping Waipakihi River with his friends. A personal locator beacon was activated, and the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter arrived just 16 minutes after activation. The patient was winched from his location and flown to Rotorua Hospital for further assessment and treatment.

The busy month of December ended for your rescue crew with a Christmas Eve mission to a serious motor vehicle accident between Taupō and Turangi. The Greenlea Rescue Helicopter and Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter responded to the accident, where a woman in her 30’s and a child both required urgent transport to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.

Upon returning to Taupō, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew was called out to Kawhia for a toddler was an acute medical condition that required urgent airlift to hospital. The toddler was flown to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.

The greatest gift you could give is time, time for patients to spend with their loved ones this summer. Help keep these life-saving missions available to your family and friends all summer. Donate today at rescue.org.nz.

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