The week started with a maintenance flight to Hawke’s Bay and ended with bad weather that hampered flying, but the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter still managed a schedule of five rescue missions during the week from last Monday.

At 5.30pm on Monday, October 2 the team responded to a medical event at Whakaki — between Wairoa and Nuhaka – with the patient flown in a critical condition to Gisborne Hospital.

While the aircraft was in Hastings for maintenance the region was covered by affiliated, out-of-zone rescue helicopters.

And upon their return the team carried out a hectic run of missions on Thursday, starting with an 11.56am call to a medical event in Ruatoria and continuing with a motor vehicle accident, also at Ruatoria (1.44pm); a medical event at Tokomaru Bay (3.45pm); and another at Tauwhareparae (8.22pm).

All four patients were flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

CAPTION: EAST COAST BOUND The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter responded to two events at Ruatoria on Thursday, a day on which they had a total of four missions up the East Coast. Picture supplied