"If you get a stroke victim to definitive care within four hours, the likelihood is that person will make a miraculous recovery. Sharni says the Greenlea rescue helicopter services the Central Plateau and Lakes region 24/7, 365 days a year, and will continue to be there for the community throughout the busy summer months. An investigation into the circumstances of the crash is underway. Pilot Simon Miller is also new, joining after a career in New Zealand and overseas. Greenlea rescue helicopter pilot and base manager Nat Every, says the Central Plateau-based helicopter is no longer a machine that picks up patients then makes a dash for the nearest hospital. "My partner witnessed the accident, the guy who stole the ute was going more than 100km, crossed the centre line and ended up on the other side of the road," one person alleged. Even with a five-week lockdown last year, the helicopter still went on 505 missions. A pedestrian has been seriously injured after an accident involving a car in Whanganui. Before the rescue helicopter services reorganisation, the Greenlea rescue helicopter was a single-engine Squirrel in Taupō with one full-time and a part-time pilot, plus volunteer crewmen. Once booked and paid, there are no refunds for cancellations or no-shows. - Armed cops arrest man after tense standoff, Problems with tsunami sirens to be investigated - Far North Mayor. Book in for Valentine’s Day to secure your spot for your date! Formerly a flight paramedic in Queensland for 12 years, Smith says he enjoys being a rescue helicopter paramedic because it allows him to put his advanced skills to full use. Precious time would be spent before missions finding a crewman and paramedic. We have these highly skilled paramedics here, specialist crew, knowledgeable pilots and they're available all the time, it's a genuine 24/7, 365-day service with absolutely no interruption.". % rank % No source of income during that time 3,609 5.6 42 6.3 Wages, salary, etc paid by my employer 37,155 57.8 51 60.6 Self-employment / work in own business 9,978 15.5 26 The crash that occurred around 6pm, … Taupō Gliding Club confirmed the people killed were a pilot and a passenger. Taupō police Senior Sergeant Fane Troy said police had removed the bodies on behalf of the coroner but the investigation was now in the hands of the Transport Accident … Every says because people are almost always not transported back to Taupō after pickup but taken on to other places — Waikato, Rotorua, Auckland — most of the helicopter's missions will take it away from the base for hours at a time. "It's definitely better, unquestionably better, 100 per cent better," says Every. "The on-duty crews have been working around the clock recently, performing on average two missions a day. In 2018, the helicopter did 299 missions. SIGN UP TO OUR DAILY NEWSLETTERS HERE. "We've got the resources available here, we had some very dedicated and highly-skilled people helping us in the past but we were at the mercy of a lot of variables that were out of our control, whereas now we're a known quantity. While there is government and sponsor support, the Philips Search and Rescue Trust still has to fundraise because the government contribution only covers around 75 per cent of the full cost. If it's a stroke, they're off to Auckland. It is a team effort. The accident comes after a fatal crash in Horowhenua overnight raised the holiday weekend road toll to six. James and I love what these guys have brought to lake Taupō! Rather than scooping up the patient into the helicopter as quickly as possible, as in the past, the intensive care paramedic treats the person at the scene, then continues to treat and monitor them during the helicopter journey. I've heard stories of, when a patient gets that clot pulled out of his head he literally wants to get back in the helicopter and go home.". No new Covid community cases - Cabinet meets. In a change from the days before a national rescue helicopter service reorganisation in 2018, the helicopter now always has its own intensive care paramedic aboard, who also holds an advanced qualification which allows them to sedate a patient and insert a tube into their throat to allow them to breathe, if necessary. contact us on 07 376 0899. Taupō: Greenlea rescue helicopter: 'A small flying hospital' 17 Feb, 2021 08:00 PM 9 minutes to read The Greenlea rescue helicopter coming in to land at its Taupō Airport base. See the Taupō Hospital map here. 11/02/2021 Taxicat has the Doughboats tick of approval! The crash occurred on State Highway 5, on Tuesday afternoon, at Iwitahi. For advice on disposing hazardous substances or in the event of an accident involving small amounts of household pesticides, flammable goods, etc. Sadly, one person died at the scene," police said in a statement. Check the current conditions for Taupō, Waikato, New Zealand for the day ahead, with radar, hourly, and up to the minute forecasts. Where we are, there's no big hospital, everyone has to be taken somewhere. Now, Every says, the helicopter is itself "a small flying hospital". Laurilee McMichael is editor of the Taupo & Turangi Weekender. Be prepared for the day. Just recently, on Monday, February 1, the helicopter was called out five times, back to back, an unprecedented number of missions in a single day. Five missions in one day kicks off 2021 for Greenlea rescue helicopter - NZ Herald. Taupō-nui-a-Tia College head students for 2021: Rhea Paalvast, Lille-Lee Tupe, principal Peter Moyle, Boaz Mellor, Taine Hakiwai (right). Investigations are underway into the cause of a fatal accident on the Napier-Taupō road. It's a shame to postpone, but it's the best thing to do at this stage," said Philips Search & Rescue Trust marketing manager Sharni Weir. The bodies of two people killed in a glider crash near Taupō have been recovered. Wickham watches the rescue helicopter fly off with obvious pride. He says one of the things he's enjoyed most since has been the opportunity to do night flying, something he hadn't done a lot of before and "you get to see parts of New Zealand you hadn't seen before from the air". Budd, 78, was was a well-known member of the club. From there, it will take the person to the right hospital - maybe Whanganui if they're not severely injured, otherwise Palmerston North or Wellington hospitals, maybe even Christchurch if it's a spinal injury. "This is where you get the best opportunity to do the work. Earnshaw the crewman refuels it, Smith the paramedic restocks it and within 10 minutes they are off, this time to a road accident near Taihape. Up to 10 local paramedics had to be trained to work in the helicopter, and if the on-duty paramedics were busy, the helicopter had to wait for one to become available. In two days last week we went from Raglan to Whanganui and back up and all around.". A heart condition goes to Waikato Hospital. The collision was between a truck and a ute in Coastlands. The demand is such that a fourth crew of three has recently been added, making 12 full-time staff. A spinal injury goes to Middlemore or even Burwood in Christchurch. Police searching for missing 12-year-old Gisborne boy, Watch: 'Keep your hands up!' Tsunami emergency texts: Who makes the call on alerting and why do some miss out? Now under the new system - where Hamilton, Tauranga and Taupō-based helicopters serve the entire Central Plateau/Lakes region - the Greenlea rescue helicopter has a BK-117 twin-engine helicopter with a state-of-the-art avionics system and room for a paramedic to treat a patient in-flight. Earnshaw's role gives her the opportunity to mix her aviation background with her paramedic skills. Corrections van overturns with prisoners inside in crash near Taupō • Source: 1 NEWS A corrections van with prisoners inside has crashed north of Taupō this afternoon. Police say a driver is dead after a crash in Tokomaru around 11.30pm.