Thousands of Kiwis a year fly to hospital instead of enduring long road ambulance trips, but medevacs don't come cheap, and rely heavily on public donations.
A handful of rescue helicopter pilots and medics are resisting getting vaccinated and will be out of a frontline job, but health bosses say it won't affect operations.
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A Coastguard Nelson crew trains at Port Nelson with the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter crew using the rescue helicopter s winch.
The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter service is 30 this year. Samantha Gee looks at its life-changing role over the past three decades. Tipped out of his kayak, with waves breaking over his head, Alan McDermott knew time was no longer on his side. He had been in the water for close to an hour after the weather changed unexpectedly on what had been an otherwise uneventful morning kayak in Golden Bay.
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Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter crew member Paul “Ernie” Bryant with the rescue helicopter s Breeze winch.
Stewart Island/Rakiura community board chair Jon Spraggon in his chairperson s report to the board for its April 12 meeting, says Helicopters Otago would fund all costs associated with establishing an all-weather link from Dunedin to Stewart Island for emergency flights. The costs of installing and maintaining the helipad on the island would be the responsibility of the local community, he says. It was a great concept, but beyond the finances of the board in view of the major projects already committed to, he says. Spraggon suggests if the concept was to be taken any further, work should be done with the local Health Committee.