The crew on the West Coast are often dealing with the most challenging of conditions and an average mission length is longer due to the vast distances. We are blessed to now have Westpac NZ as our associate sponsor; this new level of support underpins the service on the West Coast.ย The Critical Care Paramedics on the coast are the highest qualified medical resource available for the community. In areas like the West Coast, when there is an emergency, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter is the only option and can be the difference between life and death.
We extend a sincere thank you to ROA Mining for their significant support of the service over 13 years. Their generous commitment ensured that the West Coast community had access to this vital emergency response capability. ROA Mining will continue to support their community through their sponsorship of the New Zealand Flying Doctor Service. This sister service to the rescue helicopters is a regular visitor to the West Coast transporting patients between hospitals to the higher acuity care they need.
Left to right โ Hernan, Peet, Joshua, Tom, Dazza
As well as fundraising to support missions on the West Coast we are working on a number of exciting projects to improve patient care and save more lives. Very soon, the existing BK-117 will be replaced with a state-of-the-art H145 helicopter that will have more advanced avionics. This will facilitate Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), allowing the crew to fly in lower cloud conditions, enabling the rescue helicopter to respond in more compromised weather conditions โ a real game changer for the West Coast. This will be accompanied by equipment upgrades and advanced training, so the crew are fully prepared for all missions.
Mission support
Can you contribute to the cost of a mission or fund a lifesaving mission?
You can support a complete mission
1 mission- $5,000
2 missions – $10,000
4 missions – $20,000.
Or give a monthly gift – $20, $3o, $50, or your choice
Special Projects Development Fund
The West Coast community is currently served by a twin engine BK117-B2 rescue helicopter, but the H145 is on its way soon.
| MAKE/MODEL | BK-117 – B2 |
| ENGINE | Twin Allied Signal, LTS101-850B2 |
| SHAFT HORSEPOWER | 850 HP each engine |
| CREW | 1 pilot, 2 paramedics |
| MAX SPEED | 150 knots / 280kph |
| CRUISE SPEED | 120 knots / 222kph |
| RANGE | 540 kilometres |
| SERVICE | 1 HELICOPTER AND CREW ON CALL 24/7 |
| MISSIONS | 300+ AVERAGE PER YEAR |
Our community and corporate sponsors are greatly valued. Without their support our service would not be able to operate. The Canterbury West Coast Rescue Helicopter Trust gratefully acknowledges the following companies whose generous support contributes to the efficient operation of a viable FREE Rescue Helicopter Service in our region.
The statistics are in, and our 2025 Impact Report is out.
This report highlights the major milestones from what has been an incredible 12 months at the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust. Gracing the cover of the Impact Report is IGA - the first of our new H145 rescue helicopters launched into the service.
Take a moment to read about:
๐ดOur journey to purchasing four state-of-the-art H145 helicopters
๐ดOur investment in critical training and equipment
๐ดThe beautiful people and organisations who have fuelled our mission
๐ดThe very reason we are here - for the patients who need us
Read our 2025 Impact Report here: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/stories/2025-impact-report/
Or see 2025 Impact Report on our Linktree
Zack`s got a great way of describing what it`s like being a paramedic on a big rescue job.
"๐๐โ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐โ๐๐ฒ ๐ด๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ โ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐."
We chat to Zack about his journey to becoming a paramedic, what made him join the NZ Army Reserve Force (one of only a few soldiers on the West Coast), and his job on the West Coast Rescue Helicopter.
Read more here: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/stories/meet-zack/
Or see the link to stories from the crew on our Linktree
After 23 days of pedalling these incredible Rescue Warriors have arrived in Cape Reinga.
Congratulations Team Muscle - not many people can say they have biked the length of New Zealand; it`s an amazing achievement. We are so humbled you took on this challenge to support the rescue helicopters across Canterbury and the West Coast.
The Rescue Warriors Team Live, who are biking down the country, have a few more days to go before they hit the finish line in Bluff.
If you haven`t already, please give the Rescue Warriors your support: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/rescue-warriors
Or see the Rescue Warriors link on our Linktree
Brian is nearing the finish line of the Rescue Warriors ride - he`s currently coming up to Knights Point in South Westland.
Waiting for him in Bluff is his family, who have supported his ride 100%.
"๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฒโ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐.โ
Read Brian`s story here: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/stories/brian-ellis-rescue-warrior-twelve/
Or see the Rescue Warriors link on our Linktree
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