Winter is upon us and the Canterbury crew have been busy.

The crew attended several missions in Twizel in May, including rescuing a hiker who had fallen and sustained a kidney injury. Another Twizel located mission included a medical transfer for a patient suffering severe abdominal pain. Other May mission locations included; Lake Ellesmere, Banks Penninsula, Scargill, Ashburton and Reefton.

Crewman, Wayne Ledgerwood, Intensive Care Paramedic Tatsu Kuwasaki and Pilot, Kent Wilson attended a status 1 patient suffering breathing problems on the Reefton job. The patient was flown to Christchurch Hospital for urgent treatment.

Recent news articles, accessible on our Facebook page, also detail a winch rescue for two men whose yacht was sinking in Sleepy Bay, Akaroa. Both patients were found clinging to their life raft and suffering from hypothermia; they were flown to Lyttleton Oval for transport to Christchurch Hospital. The crew had completed boat winch training a few days prior to this mission, which proved timely. The Rescue Helicopter crew regularly undergo training to ensure they are equipped to deal with the wide range of mission types they attend.

A video detailing a winch rescue from a cruise ship is also available to view on our Facebook page. In the clip you can see a small portion of what a mission may entail for our Pilot, Crewman and ICP. On this job Crewman Mike McClintock operated the winch from the helicopter above, with Intensive Care Paramedic Brent Williams on the wire being winched down to the cruise ship deck. This rescue relied on co-ordination with both SAR and Canterbury Police.

The rescue crew forecast busy months ahead. Help the crew stay rescue ready by donating today.