An eight-mission schedule took the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter to areas from Hicks Bay to Hawke’s Bay and Hamilton in the seven-day reporting period from Monday, August 26.

Carrying out an inter-hospital transfer and responding to four medical events and three trauma injuries made up a programme that started on the Monday (12.15pm) when the team transferred a patient in serious condition from Gisborne to Auckland Hospital.

The mission schedule continued with:

— August 27, 8.30am — The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter responded to a trauma at Hicks Bay, flying the patient in serious condition to Gisborne Hospital.

— August 27, 11.40am — The team was dispatched to a medical event at Te Araroa, from where the patient was flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

— August 28, 11.50am — They were called to a trauma at Te Araroa, flying the patient in critical condition to Gisborne Hospital.

— August 29, 4.10am — The Eastland Rescue Helicopter flew to a medical event at Tikitiki, from where the patient was transported in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

— August 31, 7am — The team was dispatched to a trauma at Te Araroa, flying the patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

— August 31, 10.50pm – They responded to a medical event at Ruatoria, from where our on-board critical care flight paramedic assessed and treated the patient, who was flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

— September 1, 5.10pm – For their final mission of the week the team was called to a medical event at Mahia, flying the patient in serious condition to Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.

CAPTION: COASTAL CONNECTION: A mission in response to a trauma at Wharekahika/Hicks Bay was one of eight completed by the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter in the week beginning August 26.