Last week the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked with a number of missions throughout the week.
On Monday the 23rd March the crew was dispatched to Hāwera is the second-largest centre in the Taranaki .
The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter retrieved a 44-year-old patient, post-Myocardial Infarction. On return to Hamilton, the weather had deteriorated to the point that the Pilot – Loren executed a missed instrument approach, the clouds were at 500ft, and the lowest you can go on the approach is 580ft. The team were going to divert to Tauranga, but saw a break in the clouds over Matamata and decided to land there.
The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew landed and decided to send the patient to Waikato Hospital via road ambulance as it was the best possible outcome considering the weather.
On Thursday 26th March, the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter completed an IFR flight to Whitianga for an 89-year-old female, post-Myocardial Infarction.
On Saturday 28th March the crew flew to Taupo Hospital for an Inter-Hospital Transfer retrieval from Taupo to Rotorua.
The ICU flight team were on the job due to the possibility of the crew needing to come straight back to Waikato instead of going to Rotorua. The crew was on the ground for a while as the ICU Team intubated and ventilated the patient so she was stable for transport.
We here at the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter have a policy of keeping the media informed of our work. We do this as a service to the media and in an effort to raise our profile with the public to assist with our fundraising campaigns. Our service is only possible because of sponsor support and donations. We appreciate seeing our name in any stories utilising information supplied by us.