Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust

The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust is a charity in Nelson, New Zealand. It supports the Nelson Marlborough Westpac Rescue Helicopter, a rescue and air ambulance helicopter on standby around the clock.

Services

The site says the helicopter responds to more than 400 missions a year. Its mission types are:

• Medical emergencies before hospital: 31 percent
• Trauma before hospital: 39 percent
• Search and rescue: 8 percent
• Transfers between hospitals: 22 percent

Critical care paramedics on board use equipment such as a defibrillator, ventilator, suction unit, video laryngoscope and ultrasound. Crews are also trained for winching, water rescue and night flying with night vision goggles.

Operator and aircraft

GCH Aviation has been the operator of the service since 1996, according to the trust. GCH Aviation is based in Christchurch. The trust says an Airbus H145 helicopter has been bought for the region, and it is raising money for the equipment and training the new aircraft needs.

Coverage area

The service covers the Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough and Buller regions, with a base in Nelson. The trust says it looks after more than 200,000 residents and visitors.

Facts

• Type: regional charitable trust supporting a rescue and air ambulance helicopter service
• Operator: GCH Aviation
• On standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• Aircraft: helicopter

Who it is for

The service is for people in Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough and Buller who are hurt or ill in places that are hard to reach. The trust says rugged coast, alpine peaks and wide rural areas make the region isolated when things go wrong.