Stories
September 1, 2023
Above: Clockwise from top left: Ammena, Eamon, Pam, Sarah, Matt and young Eve have all benefitted from the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter's services thanks to the kindness of our community.
Ammena's Story - Kaueranga Valley
As a doctor, Ammena is usually the one caring for patients. While canyoning in Coromandel's Kaueranga Valley, she didn't expect to be the one on the receiving end of care.
"As I was going down a canyon into water, I heard a crunch," Ammena explains, "I knew straight away I'd broken my leg."
Off the beaten track, Ammena was relieved when she heard a rescue helicopter would airlift her to hospital. It was the first time she'd ever needed its services. Being winched out - all part of the experience.
"I put my faith in this one person (Critical Care Paramedic Russell Clarke). I thought, 'I can't change this. I might as well enjoy it. I had every confidence in their abilities to get me to safety."
Ammena knew the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew had the situation under control.
A lover of the great outdoors, Ammena is up for new adventures soon.
Eamon's Story - Port Albert
It was meant to be a welcome break in the weather but Eamon unexpectedly encountered torrential rain, strong gusts and formidable waves on his inflatable kayak's maiden voyage. At the mercy of mother nature, he and his "fun purchase" soon parted ways.
If not for his lifejacket and cell phone, kept in a water tight bag, Eamon thought his chances of survival were slim but, with an incoming tide, he eventually reached shore. After a gruelling half-hour mud flat crawl, Eamon found a patch of dry land and dialled for help.
In next to no time, with little room to land, Westpac 1 crew hovered just above the ground ready to receive Eamon. Muddy, but otherwise fine, he was flown back to his carpark with a complimentary towel to protect his ride home.
Extremely thankful, he says the service was exactly what he needed when he got in too deep.
Pam's story - Tiritiri Matangi Island
Pam had been excited to return to remote Tiritiri Matangi Island after 20 years, as a volunteer to help with essential bush maintenance. But by mid-afternoon on day three, after several hours of tree pruning, Pam's lower leg was painful and swollen, and her co-volunteer thought it looked like a possible deep vein thrombosis - potentially life-threatening.
"I admit I was pretty scared," Pam says, "especially when I got hold of the after-hours GP at home and she said I needed to get to a hospital ASAP, just in case. Right... how?!"
The after hours nurse arranged it all really fast.
"The service is incredible," Pam says, "I couldn't believe how quickly the helicopter turned up, less than 15 minutes, and when we went to take off in very high winds, the two paramedics, Jono and Ben (yes, really!) made me feel totally safe. I'll be donating regularly now."
Below: Ameena is winched out of Kaueranga Valley with the help of Critical Care Paramedic Russell Clarke after a canyoning accident.
Sarah's story - Muriwai Beach
It came as a bolt out of the blue, when Sarah's beach-savvy horse "Ferbi" did just that. Bolt. Why it happened, the experienced rider can't remember.
"Something must have spooked her," Sarah says.
Post-cyclone, it was a beautiful day on Muriwai Beach when things took an unexpected turn. Sarah fell from the horse and was completely knocked out.
No one had witnessed what happened, but a young couple knew something was up when Ferbi ran past without her rider. These kind strangers found Sarah and were with her when she came to. Help was already on its way.
In pain, having broken her lower back, Sarah said it was a "flood of relief" when she heard the chopper was coming - she dreaded the long journey by road to Auckland City Hospital.
Sarah is recovering well and is incredibly grateful for the service's help that day.
Matt's story - Coromandel
Matt had just returned from a work fishing trip when the 29-year-old unexpectedly went into cardiac arrest.
"I needed to stop walking as I was dizzy, took two more steps and didn't wake up," he says.
Having read the statistics later, Matt knows he's very lucky to have made it out alive (Matt would be diagnosed with a rare heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome).
As luck would have it, Matt was with a workmate who'd just completed a CPR refresher course. Matt also collapsed outside the local ambulance service.
Early medical intervention, including one shock of a defibrillator, Auckland Westpac Rescue helicopter crew performing a Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI) to assist his breathing, and a speedy flight to Waikato Hospital all contributed to Matt's survival.
He would make a full recovery with no permanent injury due to lack of oxygen.
Matt can't thank crew enough for helping save his life.
Eve's story - Great Barrier Island
Little Eve was having the time of her life on a playground when her day went topsy-turvy. The active three-year-old unfortunately suffered a fall which quickly came to Mum Elisa and Dad Ethan's attention when her playmates raised the alarm.
"I noticed Eve's arm was dangling," Ethan says, "It didn't look good."
The family's "precious cargo" was carefully loaded into the car to make the 13-minute trip to Port Fitzroy where everyone's suspicions were confirmed - Eve had, sadly, broken her arm.
The Auckland Westpac Rescue helicopter was tasked to help. A trip by helicopter to Starship Hospital would be the quickest and most comfortable option for Eve to get the ongoing medical attention she needed. Ethan shared the 29-minute flight with Eve who was back home in a week.
The thankful family say the helicopter is a "life-line" for the Barrier. Great grandma Fleur also recently required its services.
To read more stories about patients we've helped, click here.
Below: Eve, with dad Ethan, in the care of Dr Stephen Wood aboard Westpac 2.
