Hamilton Chopper

The Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance has been operating from Waikato Hospital since 1987. Servicing the Waikato, King Country, and Bay of Plenty districts the Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance and its expert crew carry out approximately 500 missions each year. A mix of ambulance, inter-hospital transfers and search and rescue work makes up these missions with the overall service having a very real impact on outcomes for members of the community unfortunate enough to suffer serious illness or injury.

The Bell222B helicopter and its expert crew of pilots, paramedics, flight nurses and officers of the Police force, respond quickly and effectively to all emergencies to ensure delivery of the best level of service; a service made possible through the donations of time, money, goods and services from local businesses, service groups and the community at large.

With a fully-equipped air ambulance bringing paramedic and/or medical staff in response to motor vehicle, farm, recreational and aviation accidents, as well as incidents of a medical nature, your community air ambulance provides rapid transport of critically ill or injured patients. This service is totally free-of-charge to the public and is available on a no-fault basis, accessible through the 111 emergency call system.

The Waikato region is mainly rural, featuring extensive farmland, forest and open roads. As a result, many of our rescues involve road and recreational accidents. Westpac has sponsored the Hamilton-based air ambulance for the past 20 years.

Website: Westpac Helicopters Waikato

Auckland Chopper

The Auckland Rescue Helicopter operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The organisation started the world's first ever civilian rescue helicopter service back in 1970 and has been making rescues ever since. Over the past 37 years, the service has performed more than 12,000 rescues and is internationally recognised for its pioneering work in saving lives.

The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter serves every community in the greater Auckland region - a total of more than 1.3 million people! Coverage reaches as far north as Te Hana, and as far south as Meremere, including the Coromandel and the Gulf Islands.

Being based right on the edge of Auckland’s aquatic playground, a lot of the rescues they make involve the sea. These can range from boating or surfing accidents to people being swept off the rocks while fishing.

One of the more unusual rescues they have participated in was airlifting a 27-year-old woman to hospital who had been seriously injured after being hit by a leaping dolphin while sitting in the bow of a small boat near Pauanui Beach. The Auckland based team was also recognised by the world "Association of Aeromedical Services" in 2000 when the Trust was presented with an award for 10,000 accident-free missions.

Website: Westpac Helicopters Auckland