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This video is from our February Mission of the Month, a winch rescue from dense bush in the Hawdon Valley. What an exceptional crew of pilot Ed, Critical Care Paramedic Steve, and Crew Paramedic/Winch Operator Shane.
A fabulous morning was spent celebrating the generosity of the Akaroa and Bays Lions Club.
The Club ran a recent four-wheel drive event and donated the proceeds to the rescue helicopter service. Our most heartfelt thanks for your generosity and for taking the time to visit the service and meeting crew members Adrian, Shane and Kent.
It turns out for two of our guests this wasn`t the first time seeing a Westpac Rescue Helicopter. We`re glad this time you weren`t the patient!
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐๐ฟ๐๐ต๐๐ฟโ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐
๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ง๐๐ฝ๐ฒ: ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐: ๐๐ฎ๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป, ๐ง๐ผ๐บ
When a solo hiker fell down a steep cliff, it took the combined skills of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and Alpine Cliff Rescue teams to get her to safety.
The call came in via a personal locator beacon activation from below Mt Isobel. Members of the Alpine Cliff Rescue team were helicoptered to the patient.
Once they got to the patient, they radioed out saying the patient was a status one - her injuries were life-threatening.
Westpac Rescue Helicopter paramedic Kaz says the terrain was treacherous.
โThe patient had fallen about 50 metres down an unstable cliff face. We had to be extremely careful as we didnโt want the helicopter downwash to move the rocks above or around her and the Alpine Cliff Rescue crew who were with her.โ
Alpine Cliff Rescue โ a volunteer team of experienced mountaineers - set up fixed lines to keep themselves safe and managed to move the patient to a stable ledge.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter landed at Carrington Hut, where crew offloaded the stretcher and other equipment not required for the job. The helicopter then returned to the scene.
โThe terrain was so tricky the safest option was to utilise the expertise of Alpine Cliff Rescue, and they did an excellent job.
โWe winched down to the Alpine Cliff Rescue team what we call a nappy harness. Alpine Cliff Rescue secured the patient into the harness and we then winched the patient and the Alpine Cliff Rescue members up to the helicopter.โ
The patient had suffered severe and traumatic injuries. She was flown straight to Christchurch Hospital.
Karen says the job was a race against time.
โThe weather was threatening to close in, the patient needed to get to hospital, and we had her and two Alpine Cliff Rescue members relying on us to get them off that cliff face. It was an incredible team effort.โ
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter crews regularly work with Alpine Cliff Rescue to train their team members in winch operations.
โThis job is an example of where that joint training pays off โ and saves a life,โ Karen says.
Juliet and Julian love nothing more than meeting supporters - and when the visit comes with a generous donation (and lollies for the crew) it couldn`t have been sweeter!
Thank you @fentecgroup and @boundaryline.co.nz for your generous donation. Your staff chose which charities received support through your annual giving. To know they chose the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust is truly humbling.
Your donation will help ensure that the Westpac Rescue Helicopter is there when our communities need it the most.
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