Exciting News for the West Coast: A New H145 Rescue Helicopter on Its Way!
Greymouth turned on a stunning, sunshine-filled day as the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust team made the trip over the hill to share exciting news with local donors and supporters. Gathered at the GCH Aviation base, home to the ROA Rescue BK117 helicopter, attendees heard firsthand about the upcoming arrival of a state-of-the-art H145 helicopter to the region.
This new aircraft, set to arrive in the next 12 months, is a gamechanger for the West Coast. With advanced avionics and IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) capabilities, the H145 will allow rescue crews to respond to emergencies in low cloud and adverse weather, increasing mission capacity by up to 20 percent. The region’s three Mayors expressed their gratitude, sharing personal stories of how the rescue service has made a life-saving impact on their communities.
It was fantastic to see so many supporters come together to celebrate this milestone, meet the crew, and get up close with our Canterbury-based H145. A huge thank you to everyone who attended, we can’t wait to deliver the new H145 and continue strengthening emergency services on the West Coast!
We were honoured to have the three West Coast mayors attend and speak, including Mayor Helen Lash, who shared a personal story of having once needed the service herself. Thanks to the swift response, the outcome was a positive one. It was a powerful reminder of the difference this service makes every day.
The team were also proud to receive a generous donation from the Rapid Relief Team at this event. RRT raised almost $21,000 from their fundraising lunch at the Greymouth Christmas Parade.
We’re deeply grateful for the ongoing community support that helps to continue life-saving missions on the coast.
