That gave a clear landing pad for the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter, which was dispatched just before 2pm to the Glenroy Road intersection. Once on-scene the team’s on-board critical care flight paramedic assessed and treated the patient, who was flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

The mission was one of six successfully completed by the team in the week from Monday, February 10 . . . all crammed into the last four days of the week.

The missions were:

• February 13, 3am – The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter responded to a medical event at Hicks Bay, flying the patient in serious condition to Gisborne Hospital;
• February 14, 10.15am – The team was dispatched in response to a personal locator beacon activation to Cape Runaway where they winched and treated their patient, before flying them in stable condition to Tauranga Hospital;
• February 15, 12.30am – In another night-time mission they flew to a medical event at Te Puia Springs, from where their patient was transported in serious condition to Gisborne Hospital;
• February 15, 10am – The team responded to a medical event at Ruatoria, flying their patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital;
• February 15, 2pm – They were dispatched a motor vehicle accident at Whangara, from where they flew their patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital;
• February 15, 16.20pm – And for their final reportable mission for the week the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team transferred a patient who was in critical condition from Gisborne to Tauranga Hospital, from where the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter completed the flight to Auckland.