Lives Saved by the Rescue Heli

Aaron

Boxing Day 2021 was one of those classic Canterbury summer days with big blue skies. I’d been planning a run up in the Kaikōura Ranges for a couple of weeks. Mt Manakau to Mt Uwerau and down the other side. A good long mountain mission. At that time I was a personal trainer in a local Christchurch gym along with coaching people in trail running. I’d done my fair share of big mountain trail missions, so I knew what I was in for.

Other people I knew had done the route before, so I’d mapped it out and loaded the GPX file onto my watch. I was even filming parts of it for my social media, with the intention to hopefully inspire others to get out and explore this beautiful country we live in.

Getting to the summit of Mt Manakau took about five and a half hours. My watch read fifteen kilometres and 3,500 metres of steep elevation gain! It was tough going in that heat. About 35 degrees. I’d used all my water but found some snow higher up and used that to refill. It was all going to plan. I decided that continuing the full run would be too tough now and so I looked for an alternative route down that would take me back to the car more quickly.

I could see the valley below and a ridge that looked like a good line down. From above, it looked quite manageable. What I couldn’t see was how steep it was beyond my line of sight.

I started descending the scree slope, and then it turned into rock with loose gravel on top.

I lost my footing and slid 20 or 30 metres before I managed to stop myself on a narrow rock ledge.

At first, I wasn’t too worried but then I could hear loose stones tumbling off the rock face. It was steep. I looked up, thinking maybe I could climb back, but it was a 300 to 400 metre scramble over loose scree. I checked the side. Left looked okay at first, but if I slipped, I’d only have 10 or 12 metres before I went over the drop. I decided to stay put.

Read the whole story…

Hūhana

Hūhana Carter was gardening at her home in Charteris Bay when she fell 2.5m and needed the assistance of the rescue helicopter. She and husband Shane were loading garden waste when she fell from the trailer.

“We were putting the branches in, it was the very last load and one of the branches was caught in the cage and catapulted me up and over,” she said.

She landed on the concrete, cutting her head and breaking four bones in her neck. First on the scene were members of the Diamond Harbour Volunteer Fire Brigade, headed by chief fire officer Bob Palmer. He and his team decided they would call in the rescue helicopter, because of the distance and the roads, it would have been too bumpy.

“He called the shots and said ‘treat it as a spinal’. Those five words saved my life.

The accident happened in October 2019 and, despite the damage to her spine, the 61-year-old has made a near-complete recovery.

Hūhana said that “The helicopter staff were stunning. From the expertise of the fire fighters and the air ambulance, that’s why I’m standing today.”

Ian and Sue

In January, Ian and Sue were travelling back to Greymouth after dropping our daughter off at Canterbury University.

“We had enjoyed a lovely day and were cruising home to Greymouth as our son was cooking dinner for us.” Ian tells me

As we descended Porters Pass heading West a tourist crossed the centre line into our lane from behind a row of oncoming cars and hit us head on.

“I don’t remember the impact and when I woke up I was trapped and my wife was already being resuscitated by passers by. My wife passed away at the scene whilst I held her hand. I remember the air ambulance medic beginning to work on me very calmly and asking me what hurt my reply was nothing (shock I guess), but I was in a bad way. He calmly looked after and cared for me throughout what I think was a lengthy extraction whilst I was cut out. He worked seamlessly with the paramedic until they had the roof off and carried me out on the spine board to the ambulance. I received an all over check and was then driven to the helicopter in the ambulance. Throughout the flight to Christchurch, he talked to me and made sure I was comfortable.”

Ian spent 6 weeks in hospital in Christchurch and Greymouth and is now back up and walking on crutches.

“My wife and I received amazing care and support that day and my two teenagers still have one of us to look after them and I am in no doubt that without the first responders and the air ambulance and paramedic it is highly likely they wouldn’t have.”

I just want to say a huge thanks to those involved.

Sawyer

A 4-day hike in the Paparoa National Park was abruptly cut short when Sawyer, age 7, slipped whilst playing at the hut with friends, landing awkwardly on his arm.

Given the severity of his pain and the distance of 2 more days in the bush before reaching the end of the trail, the call was made to emergency services. Within 30 minutes the helicopter had landed and paramedic Rod and his team were on hand offering expert care to an overwhelmed and injured Sawyer.

On further examination, it was agreed to air lift him to Greymouth hospital for further X-rays so Sawyer, Mum, and their tramping gear were packed into the helicopter and before long were being whisked across the ranges as the sun began to go down.

Rod handed Sawyer’s care over to the staff at Tē Nikau in Greymouth, where X-rays showed a bad break in his elbow and a temporary cast was applied. Local support in Greymouth then transported Sawyer and his Mum to the end of the trial on Punakiki to collect their car before the long journey over the hill back to Christchurch, arriving at 1am.

Next morning, an early start for further investigation at Christchurch Orthopaedic unit with more X-rays and a CT revealed the need for surgery to repair his broken elbow and the expert care continued there.

We are hoping for a swift recovery and to be back out in the mountains exploring again soon.

Sawyer has many kilometres under his belt since he started tramping and Moonlight Hut was his 72nd hut. We never anticipated that we would end up in a situation like this but are super grateful and thankful for the expert care and professionalism from the team from beginning to end.

The service you provide is invaluable and we are incredibly lucky to have had you assist our family.

Diane

I was walking the amazing Kaikoura Coastal Track with eight friends. We were walking downhill, and I was at the front. I do not recall feeling dizzy or slipping, but I do remember the sickening sound and feeling of my head hitting a tree as I fell. I had scalped myself on the tree and was bleeding profusely.

Accidents can happen anytime and anywhere; they can be minor or life-changing and everything in between.
These are Diane’s words, following her own experience with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service recently.

“On March 21st 2020, I was walking the amazing Kaikoura Coastal Track with eight friends. This is a quite strenuous two-day walk; we were nearing the end of day two on a very cool and windy day, and I thought I could smell the sea. We were walking downhill and I was at the front. I do not recall feeling dizzy or slipping, but I do remember the sickening sound and feeling of my head hitting a tree as I fell, then my friends were there and trying to get me up the bank that I had fallen down. I was aware of severe pain in my neck, but with help I managed to very carefully wriggle my way back up to the track. Two of my friends had been carrying survival blankets, for which I am very grateful, as I was able to lie on one and have the other around me. I had scalped myself on the tree and was bleeding profusely; the girls were applying pressure to try and stop the bleeding. We had no cell phone reception, so three of the girls walked out to get help. It seemed quite a long time before help arrived, and I think the St John Ambulance from Kaikoura arrived just before the rescue helicopter. The rescue helicopter team were amazing and soon had me being winched up through the trees and away to hospital. I had fractured my top two vertebrae and had an extensive scalp laceration.

I spent 4 ½ days in Ward 19 and 13 weeks 4 days in a neck brace; I am well on the way to a full recovery. My family and I will be forever grateful to my friends, St John and the exceptional rescue helicopter staff.”