Wild, Wild West

(From Airwaves magazine - Issue 2, Spring 2006)

by Nick Hawes

The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island has some of the most varied terrain anywhere in the world. The dense native bush, towering alpine peaks and rugged coastline combine with extreme weather patterns to make piloting a rescue helicopter in this region, challenging to say the least. But it’s also the place some say helicopter rescue came of age - on April 28th, 1995 when 14 people died at Cave Creek  after the collapse of a viewing platform.

On that tragic autumn day, helicopter rescue teams at the site were constantly reminded of the unique West Coast conditions that made this particular operation one of the most difficult and challenging ever encountered.

As well as the sheer scale of the disaster which unfolded, in remote and isolated country, pilots and winch crews were faced with the prospect of descending down through the dense canopy of bush to reach the victims at the bottom of the deep gorge.

Over two decades later the memories of one of New Zealand’s worst disasters still haunt the rugged landscape and the lessons learned on that day continue to shape helicopter rescue operations on the West Coast.

The Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust today operates a dedicated helicopter rescue service from operational facilities in Greymouth, adjacent to Greymouth airport and directly opposite Grey Base Hospital.

From here, the Solid Energy Rescue Helicopter - An AS360B Squirrel - is on 24 hour standby for medical and accident emergencies, rescue and recovery, patient transfers and search and rescue operations for the West Coast region.

Garden City Helicopters, in conjunction with St John have operated a dedicated Rescue Helicopter service on the West Coast since 1996, replacing the service provided up until that time by individual operators. The generous sponsorship support provided by Tranz Rail at the time enabled the operation to grow and in 1997, move into a purpose built hangar facility in it’s current location.

In January 2002, the sponsorship for the West Coast Rescue Helicopter was taken over by Solid Energy New Zealand Limited - providing ongoing support for the service and the local community which continues today.

The West Coast of the South Island is a region of incredible physical diversity bordered by the Tasman Sea to the West and the Southern Alps to the East. Both of these features contribute to an isolation which impacts heavily on the local community in terms of an ability to reach hospital quickly.

Everyone who lives on the West Coast recognises the problems faced with fast response to accident or emergency situations and patient transportation.

A great deal of the West Coast’s commercial operations such as logging, mining, fishing and farming take place in areas with limited or difficult access and communications. Road transport can often be severely affected by adverse weather conditions and the distance to centralised facilities is also a constant factor to consider in patient transfer.

A dedicated Rescue Helicopter service offers a level of security which allows patients to be quickly transported to the centralised regional hospital in Greymouth or further afield to advanced medical care facilities in Christchurch if the need arises.

The importance of maintaining a dedicated air rescue service is not lost on the West Coast community which it serves, who have continued to generously support the service with donations and sponsorships.

Leading this support is Solid Energy New Zealand who, as one of the West Coast’s leading employers, underline their committment to the local community and their own company’s Health and Safety values by supporting the Solid Energy Rescue Helicopter. The company has recently renewed their support for a further term.

As with all of the services that the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust administers, funding comes via Hospital and ACC Payments which make up 40% of operating costs and Sponsorships and Donations which come via businesses, organisations and the local community.

Of these, approx 30% comes from existing, long term sponsorship arrangements leaving another 30% to be obtained through ongoing donations, community support and fundraising activities.

To this end, the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust is committed to working alongside local business, groups and organisations to increase awareness of the Air Rescue service and the vital role it plays in the community.

Local identity Rob Fox , who plays an active role in the community with New Zealand Police, will be assisting the Trust in raising the profile of the service through information displays and fundraising events throughout summer.

This year we have been fortunate to receive a sponsorship from Griffen and Smith Mitre 10 in Greymouth who supplied the base with a new ride-on mower. This has the dual-ability to keep the surrounding grass under control and to tow the Rescue Helicopter in and out of the hangar.
We have also received generous sponsorship support from the Ashley Motor Hotel and donations from several other businesses and organisations including OutWest Tours.

Fundraising activities such as these have resulted in securing much needed equipment such as Night Vision Goggles which will significantly increase the capability of Helicopter Rescue.

Currently, we are focussing fundraising efforts on raising the $50,000 needed to equip the Solid Energy Rescue Helicopter with a motorised winch.

It is efforts such as these, supported by the community which we serve that will continue to provide a viable and effective Rescue Helicopter Service to the West Coast.