Despite a quiet start to the New Year and an equally quiet end to the week, the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter flew a full schedule of eight missions for the seven days January 1 to January 7.

On Tuesday, January 2 (9pm) the team flew a medical transfer from Gisborne, transporting a patient in serious condition for further treatment at Waikato Hospital.

The following day (3pm) the team responded to a trauma at Ruatoria, from where they flew the patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital. The journey was repeated two hours later, again for a trauma, and again transporting the patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

Three missions were completed on Thursday, January 4 – to a medical event at Hicks Bay (9am, patient flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital); to a medical event at Te Araroa (11.30am, patient flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital); and to a trauma at Waihau Bay (5.30pm, patient flown in stable condition to Whakatane Hospital).

And on Friday the team flew a further two, the first to Tikitiki (8am) and the second to Ruatoria (11.30am). On both occasions the patients were flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

CAPTION: The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter and Hato Hone St John both responded to two trauma incidents reported at Ruatoria on January 3.