Philips Search and Rescue Trust conducted 168 missions across its four constituent services last month, with Greenlea and Palmerston North reporting that a third of callouts were rural incidents

Philips Search and Rescue Trust, the charity which provides air medical services across New Zealand’s North Island, has carried out 168 missions across its four constituent services, the Waikato Westpac, TECT, Palmerston North and Greenlea Rescue Helicopters

Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter conducted 65 life-saving missions in April, including 39 inter-hospital transfers, 11 medical events, eight motor vehicle accidents and seven rural or remote missions, in areas such as Waihi, Paeroa, Te Kuiti, Whitianga and Cooks Beach.

TECT Rescue Helicopter conducted 39 missions in April, a 12 per cent increase in comparison to March – including 17 inter-hospital transfers, 12 medical events, nine rural or remote missions and one rescue, to locations such as Kawerau, Waihi, Te Puke and Te Kaha.

Rural missions almost doubled compared with March and included quad bike rollovers and tractor incidents.

Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter reported a 29 per cent increase in demand for April compared with March, carrying out 25 missions for the month, of which 32 per cent (eight) were for rural incidents.

Other incidents included six inter-hospital transfers, six motor vehicle incidents, four medical events and one rescue across locations such as Akito, Levin, Kimbolton and the Tararua Ranges.

Greenlea Rescue Helicopter conducted 39 missions in April, including 15 inter-hospital transfers, 13 rural or remote missions, five medical events, three rescues and three motor vehicle incidents, in areas such as Tongariro, Ngaruroro River, Rotorua and Turangi.

Like Palmerston North, Greenlea also reported that a third of all incidents it responded to were rural incidents.

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