The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter Service has released its total mission report for 2024, with the final figures a total of 317 patients airlifted last year, with the majority of missions being inter-hospital transfers, summing 162 as of December 31. Accident-related rescues remained high for the region, totalling 101 missions, 78 medical missions and 38 search-and-rescue operations.
Challenges and triumphs for the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter Service
Andy Quayle, chief executive of Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust(HBRHT), indicated that while missions were slightly reduced in 2023, this trend is not emerging.
“At 379, mission numbers in 2024 were slightly down from 414 in 2023, but the crew still averages over a mission a day, providing life-saving air medical and search and rescue services across our region. 2024 saw a 27 per cent increase in search and rescue missions and a 16 per cent increase in medical-related missions, offset by an 18 per cent drop in inter-hospital transfers compared to 2023.”
” As a country renowned for its outdoor pursuits and remote terrain, the need for rescue helicopters as an essential service cannot be understated. If you, or someone you love, ever finds themselves in a time-critical emergency, the rescue helicopter will likely be deployed to assist.”
Stories of heroism
Charlie Beetham, the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter’s Chief Pilot, is proud of his team’s commitment. The Lowe Corporation team continues to demonstrate remarkable effectiveness in helicopter rescue operations, saving numerous lives by quickly delivering specialist clinical expertise to often remote locations.
The recent stingray attack near Pongaroa that made national news stand out as a memorable mission, where patient Eli Carroll narrowly escaped losing his life due to a stingray barb near his femoral artery, our crew and medical team on board provided specialist care en route to hospital, ensuring Eli’s condition stabilised during the flight.
The team’s swift response and ability to remain calm under pressure were pivotal in saving his life.
“As always, it’s a privilege to be in a position to assist those in need, and while such operations can be challenging, the satisfaction of making a life-saving difference is unparalleled,” adds Charlie.
HBRHT’s Andy Quayle is grateful to work with such a dedicated team.
“Heading into Christmas and New Year, we appreciated the rostered crew who remained available over the break to help our community in their time of need. Each crew member brings an amazing skill set to ensure our patients being transported stand the best chance of a fast recovery.”
The life-saving free service you hope never to use flies an average of 400 important lifeline missions yearly. These missions provide critical medical assistance and rescue services for those in need, no matter how remote the terrain.
However, HBRHT must raise around $1.4 million annually to meet its operating costs. Entrusted with ensuring the delivery of that funding, Andy Quayle says the Trust remains immensely grateful for the continued community support during these economic challenges.
“We have seen renewed interest in sponsoring the service, and donations from individuals have grown during the year, a recent social media campaign calling for donors to support the crew’s Mini Starlink connectivity attracted an immediate response. Added to this, the benefit we receive from reciprocal charity events has also been incredibly heartening, with a standout last year being the Winter Olympics, which raised over $50,000 on its own – an impressive feat.”
Inspiring results
A highlight for 2024 was placing an order to upgrade to a new state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopter. The H145 heralds a new era for Hawke’s Bay’s air rescue services by offering greater efficiency, higher capability, more capacity, speed, and less maintenance cost.
“To be able to offer an aircraft of this calibre, with its impressive capabilities, to respond to emergencies anywhere in our region or across New Zealand, it’s an important milestone for aviation services in Hawke’s Bay,” says Quayle.
“Looking at the year ahead, we have considerable work to do expanding our hanger to accommodate the new helicopter and the cost of the associated new bespoke equipment it requires. Re-establishing our base and crew facilities and obtaining specialist equipment for the new helicopter is an exciting challenge that hinges on securing ongoing community support via our generous sponsors, donors and grant providers.”