The Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter flew 11 missions over this period.
Monday 2 January: A midday call-out to Taihape, where a local man in his 50, was suffering a serious medical event. The patient was flown to Whanganui Hospital.
This was followed by an early afternoon mission to Sanson, for a man in his 30’s who had suffered serious leg injuries after being in a motor vehicle accident. The patient was trapped in one of the vehicles and had to be cut free before being airlifted to Palmerston North Hospital.
Later that afternoon a Shannon woman in her 70’s was flown to Wellington Hospital following a serious medical event.
That evening, a Police Search And Rescue mission was underway for a party of overdue trampers in the Ruahine Ranges. Poor weathered hampered the night search which was concluded the following morning with the recovery of four woman from the area of Leon Kinvig Hut. They were all in their early 20’s and poor weather had forced them to outstay their ration supplies.
Tuesday 3 January: An early evening mission to a motor vehicle accident on the Desert Road. Poor weather prevented the helicopter getting to the scene but the on-board St John Ambulance Paramedic was able to be taken onwards by a road ambulance to the scene.
Wednesday 4 January: An early afternoon mission from Otaki to the Hutt Valley Hospital for a 2-year-old toddler who had caught his fingers on a metal edge suffering serious lacerations that required specialist emergency surgery.
Thursday 5 January: A mid morning mission to the Whanganui River where a 25-year-old woman was suffering a serious allergic reaction to an insect bite. She was in a party canoeing down the river and was airlifted out of the John Coull DOC Hut to Whanganui Hospital.
Saturday 6 January: A late afternoon callout for a Palmerston North man in his 60’s, who had suffered a serious hand injury whilst log-splitting at home. He was flown to Hutt Valley Hospital for urgent specialist surgery in order to save an amputated thumb.
Later that night the Helicopter was used to transport Police AOS officers to an unfolding event in Taranaki.
Sunday 7 January: Early morning mission to a motor vehicle accident near Bulls, where a Palmerston North youth had been thrown from a car when it rolled on State Highway 3. The patient, with life threatening injuries, was airlifted directly to Wellington Hospital roof-top for specialist emergency treatment.
