Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust

11/06/2026

Being a winch operator is not for the faint hearted. You're standing on the skids of a rescue helicopter literally holding someone's life in your hands.

Wayne was the winch operator involved in rescuing Rob, who was trapped in a boat. It wasn't easy, as Wayne explains.

"𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗼 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗯’𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

“𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿.”

Have you read Rob's story? It's one you don't want to miss.

Read about Rob's rescue here: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/stories/trapped-under-water-a-truly-life-saving-mission/

Help us save lives. Donate to Chopper Appeal here: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/chopper-appeal/

11/06/2026

Behind every number is a person who needed help fast - and a crew who could respond because our community backs them.

Thank you for helping make life-saving missions possible!

Keen to do more for your rescue helicopters? Become part of our regular Support Crew.

Find out more at https://www.airrescue.co.nz/support-us/donate/

08/06/2026

Putting together a rescue mission is like piecing together a puzzle – everyone has a vital role to play. You are part of that puzzle too.

Your support is what ensures the Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew have the best training and equipment. It’s what enabled the life-saving rescue of Rob from a crashed jet boat – a story we’ve shared with you over the last month.

This Chopper Appeal we need to raise $100,000 for the Westpac Rescue Helicopters across Canterbury and the West Coast.

Donate today. www.airrescue.co.nz/chopperappeal

05/06/2026

When asked about one of his most memorable rescues, Zack thought of this one - rescuing a tramper from an area called The Boneyards, near the Old Ghost Road.

It's easy to see why this job was special. The landscape is spectacular!

We're lucky to live, work and play in some of the most beautiful, isolated and challenging terrain in New Zealand - safe in the knowledge that if the worst happens, the rescue helicopter is there.

Help us keep the Canterbury and West Coast rescue helicopters mission-ready. Donate today.

https://www.airrescue.co.nz/donate

04/06/2026

This is community power at its finest.

To mark Chopper Appeal, the incredible Westpac teams in Greymouth, Westport, and Christchurch rallied their communities with a series of quiz nights - raising thousands for their local rescue helicopter service.

Huge thanks to the local businesses who backed these events, and to the Westpac NZ quiz‑night legends who made it all happen. Your support truly saves lives.

03/06/2026

A life saved. An emotional reunion.

Watch Rob, Dick, and Critical Care Paramedic Kath share their story.

Support this year’s Chopper Appeal. Donate today.

www.airrescue.co.nz/chopperappeal

02/06/2026

Come and take flight in our new H145 cockpit and winch simulator with Seven Sharp. You'll soon understand why we say this will revolutionise how rescue helicopter crews prepare for the life and death situations they face every day.

31/05/2026

A personal locator beacon goes off. The Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew jumps into action. They have no idea they’re heading to one of the most challenging missions they will ever face.

Watch as Critical Care Paramedic Kath explains what’s it like to be reunited with the man they saved.

Support this year’s Chopper Appeal.

Donate today at www.airrescue.co.nz/chopperappeal

28/05/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗛𝟭𝟰𝟱 𝗰𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿.

This is a seriously impressive piece of kit - one of only five joint cockpit and winch simulators in the world.

And it's the only one to replicate the exact winch configuration and distinctive geographical terrain that local crews operate in.

This simulator is unlike anything you could imagine. Alongside a full H145 cockpit replica it includes green screens and virtual reality goggles to simulate real-life winching operations.

Now crews can practise emergency situations they've only ever trained for on paper. This investment will enhance safety, improve crew communications, and ultimately deliver better outcomes for patients.

And it's all thanks to you - our community.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹, 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹.

Read more here: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/stories/new-h145-cockpit-and-winch-simulator-unveiled/

28/05/2026

“𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝟲𝟬𝟬 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁. 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁; 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆."

There were many people involved in saving Ben's life - including the Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew. Thank you for sharing your story Ben. We wish you all the best for your recovery.

When 50-year-old Ben Hamilton laced up his basketball shoes on May 13, he never would have expected to be rushed into a rescue helicopter after suffering a cardiac arrest on the court. It had been just another day for the Chemist Warehouse assistant manager, but after going up for a rebound during b...