Chopper Country: Tararua Forest Park

Rescue helicopters are usually associated with rescuing stranded climbers or removing dummies from the decks of their sinking ships.

A young family traveled to the Staglands Wildlife Preserve in the Wellington area for a family picnic when an unfortunate accident forced them to fly to the hospital.

“The mother was carrying the family picnic in a backpack when her son decided to get on his back for a ride. The blade of the picnic knife, coming out of the bag, stabbed the boy, “said Wendy Robinson of Staglands.

The Westpac rescue helicopter arrived from Wellington in a few minutes and took him to Wellington Hospital, where the boy completely recovered.

Staglands personnel are used to seeing the helicopter fly over their last mission.

“It’s hard to miss, because its distinctive sound attracts the attention of those underneath,” Robinson said.

“We often ask ourselves what is the story behind the call, hoping that it is not too serious and a little relieved when it does not concern us.”

The Tararua Forest Park, which extends from the Kapiti Coast to the Wairarapa, is another location frequented by the Wellington-based helicopter. The park may look like a docile woodland, but it can easily be misinterpreted by inexperienced walkers.

The weather conditions in the beaches can change quickly and drop to -20 ° C in winter.

“There is volcanic rock and tree roots in the ground, not for novice hikers,” says Julian Burn, Westpac winch operator and rescue helicopter.

“We are usually sent to the area about 15 times a year, especially in the fall, when the trampers have poorly assessed weather conditions and have an accident or are lost.”

Rescue of lost people who have left the lane is a common mission of the helicopter crew, which is sometimes accompanied by his pet.

“We had some rescues where the animals also had to be hoisted because there are only three places in the entire park where we can land,” Burn said.

“A man was with his dog when they went astray and went astray. The dog had to be sedated so we could both get them out with a winch and drop them off at our helicopter base in Wellington, “he added.

During search missions for lost hikers, the crew of the Westpac rescue helicopter board night vision goggles, infrared radar and mapping software to track people under trees and dense foliage.

Due to the lack of landing options, the helicopter usually floats about 150 feet when it needs to use its winch.

By the time the crew receives a call, it can take off within 10 minutes and the flight time between Wellington Hospital or the base of its helicopter is approximately 20 minutes.

Injured patients in the park also called for rescue after rolling their ankles or cutting their feet on a sharp rock.

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