News
February 28, 2017
Avid fisherman Mark 'Tinny' Cannell has competed in all but one Leigh Fishing Contest.
As lead crewman for the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust he knows just how important the charity's biggest fundraiser is to gain the funds to keep the choppers in the air.
Cannell joined the trust in 2004 and has completed more than 2000 rescue missions.
Prior to that he served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force clocking up nearly 3000 hours in the air serving in Bougainville, East Timor, Antarctica, Australia, Fiji and a lot search and rescue work in the South Island.
As lead crewman for the trust, Cannell is responsible for overseeing staff training, and keeping an eye on the other operators in the sector at home and internationally for new equipment, techniques suited to his operation and trends on things going wrong or 'wee glitches' that can be learned from.
Cannell says the crewman role on Auckland rescue helicopters is rather unique as they are multi-trained for a number of roles.
They are trained in the crewman role and winch operating, co-pilot duties in both instrument and visual flight rules, and given in-depth medical training to the level of emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
"It certainly makes for a varied range of work that you have to complete on any given day," Cannell says.
The three hats worn by the crewman change depending where their priorities lie on a mission, he says.
They can be upfront in the cockpit direction finding, then pinpointing the source of a beacon and people in distress, before moving to the back to hoist or landing and helping with medical assistance.
The crewmen's medical training also goes beyond the normal remit of an EMT, Cannell says.
"We are running certain bits of equipment that we wouldn't normally find within normal EMT sectors, such as the setting up of ventilators once we intubate patients, or even setting up blood products to be given to critically ill patients," he says.
Covering the country's largest population from as far north as Te Hana and as far south as Meremere, including Coromandel and the Gulf Islands, means a mix of jobs in the varied geography, Cannell says.
From flying to remote locations for minor injuries, water rescues, searches and major incidents.
There's definitely some jobs if it wasn't for the helicopter then you would be looking at quite a different clinical outcome - deceased survival rates or even massive increased recovery times. So they are the satisfying ones.
"Being able to go out and perhaps do a successful search, especially out on the water. Because those ones there, there is no other bastion of hope.
"If you don't get your skates on, find and extract them in a timely manner, then unfortunately the outcome is very, very bad."
Bringing a sailor off Raglan home to his wife in 2012 is one of the jobs that stands out for Cannell.
The man was riding out a storm in raging seas with a nine metre swell.
"His yacht was very fast heading to become a wreck.
"We had to work through very quickly how to get this gentleman off."
Then there's the tragic jobs where no matter what the crew does the patient can't be saved.
The hardest ones are when family members are present, Cannell says.
"When you see the reaction of family, sons and daughters, it really brings it home.
"Quite often at the time you are not too badly affected - you're trying to do your absolute best.
"It's not till you get back and are having a cup of tea that you go "that was quite a big, high impacting job," Cannell says.
With the bulk of staff having children and many of them living in the Rodney area, they often find they have a connection with those they attend in their district.
"It could be sons or daughters, a classmate or a relation to a classmate.
"It happens on a scarily regular basis."
Last year's Leigh fishing contest raised over $40,000 for the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust charity.
This year's 14th annual contest has $70,000 in prizes up for grabs for the family, with the top prize again a Surtees 475 Workmate boat with a 60hp engine for the average weight snapper.
With the average weight being 1 to 2 kilograms everyone's in for a shot and it's good for conservation as the big ones go back, Cannell says.
Visit leighfishingcontest.org.nz for details.
