Winch an integral part of rescue helicopter rescues
Swinging 100 feet above native bush and rocks can be a terrifying thing – but one you’re thankful for when you’re one of the lucky people saved by the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter every year.
This is what’s known as a winch operation – when someone is lifted to safety via a winch, or rescue hoist.
This happens when the helicopter is unable to land due to the terrain or accessibility.
There’s a lot of call for this type of rescue operation in Nelson, so it pays to have the best winch in the country, which the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter now does.
‘‘We get a lot of winch missions here because of the geography,’’ says helicopter chief crewman Paul ‘‘Ernie’’ Bryant.
‘‘We have a substantial coastline and there are many places that are covered in native bush, with no vehicle access and nowhere for us to land, which makes the winch an integral part of Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter missions.’’
The rescue helicopter’s impressive winch, the best in the country, arrived in 2015 with the help of a public capital campaign that raised $280,000 to purchase and install it.
Last month, the winch was used five times retrieving mountain bikers from Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park and Onahau Bay, a neardrowning near Pepin Island, and to retrieve people from steep inclines near Waikawa Bay and Wither Hills.
‘‘This winch allows us to perform the job a lot safer, so it’s money well spent,’’ says Bryant.
The 300-foot-long, two-person Breeze Eastern winch can lift more than 270kg, which means two people and their gear can now safely be lifted simultaneously, as opposed to one person before, shaving valuable time off a rescue mission. It also enables a medic to be hoisted up with someone.
The new winch has been used in eight rescues since its December installation, and was especially vital during the rescue helicopter’s busy summer season,
The rescue helicopter has usually has about two hours’ fuel to safely perform an operation. Weather and the amount of daylight can also play a role in how much time they have.
The hardest rescue operation is during the daytime from a boat, says Bryant.
‘‘That’s when everything’s moving – the ocean, the boat, the wind, the person you’re lifting. There’s a lot of movement to consider.’’
Bryant admits he doesn’t get that adrenaline rush any more – he’s simply focused on what needs to be done during a rescue mission.
Saving lives, and especially the teamwork among the helicopter crew, make it a rewarding job, he says.
‘‘As a crew, no one is above the other – we all depend on one another. The crew has to work as one unit at all times. Everyone needs the other to perform. We’re a close-knit team.
‘‘It’s very rewarding when you’re performed a mission that could have gone quite badly because of the conditions, and you all work together and pull it off.’’