The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service is vital our region as it provides a fast and effective link to major hospitals in Newcastle, Port Macquarie and Sydney.
Each month, the service responds to numerous call outs to the Mid Coast region and November 2018 was no exception.
The service can be requested for several reasons, including primary missions (to attend an accident site, to treat and transfer patients to hospital), secondary missions (to transfer patients between hospitals for specialist treatment) and search and rescue (help to locate missing people, rescue and return to safety).
On November 17, a helicopter was tasked to a property at Upper Bowman to assist a 16 year old male with a fractured leg and possible shoulder after falling from his motorbike. The patient was transported to John Hunter Hospital.
There was a call out to Comboyne on November 22 to assist an 84 year old man with a suspected lung infection. The patient was transported to Port Macquarie Hospital.
Mount George had the helicopter visit on November 24 to assist a 62 year old woman with chest injuries following a horse riding accident. The patient was transported to John Hunter Hospital.
A search and rescue call out was made on November 27 to Coomba Bay to assist police in the search of a missing person.
On November 29, the service was sent to a property in Bretti to assist a 54 year old man with chest injuries following a quad bike accident. The patient was transported to John Hunter Hospital.
The community’s own rescue helicopter
No one has ever had to pay to be assisted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service and that is because people in our community, along with the NSW Government, through NSW Health and NSW Ambulance, provide the funds to ensure the rescue helicopters are there when, and where, they are needed.
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