As the peak of summer holidays draws to a close, The Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and SKYCITY Auckland are celebrating the success of the daily SKYCITY Beach Patrol which comes to an end as a daily service, this weekend. The service, which was launched on Labour Weekend 2009, will continue as a weekend service until Easter Weekend 2010.

The initiative sees the Rescue Helicopter on a regular return run from the base in Mechanics Bay up the East Coast to Omaha Beach and back down the West Coast beaches. This proactive service is in addition to the standard call-out arrangement which sees the Westpac Rescue Helicopter respond to callouts for emergency accident, medical or search and rescue purposes.

Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, CEO Bob Parkinson says, “The SKYCITY Beach Patrol is a great addition to our community service. We have been able to provide reports on beach and traffic conditions, and on several patrols we have been tasked for emergency missions which has enabled us to provide an extremely fast response, thereby ensuring the best possible outcome. We are extremely grateful to SKYCITY for enabling us to provide this service.”

Among the missions that the SKYCITY Beach Patrol facilitated assistance:

• On 27 December 2009, the SKYCITY Beach Patrol was called by the ambulance service to a Status Two young boy suffering a cardiac arrest at Whangateau, who was breathing but unresponsive. The helicopter attended him and took him to Starship Children’s Hospital for treatment.

• On 9 January 2010, the SKYCITY Beach Patrol was called by the ambulance to a Status One 50-year old male patient partially submerged (near drowning) at Whitianga. The helicopter attended the man and transported him to Middlemore Hospital.

The SKYCITY Beach Patrol is part of a major sponsorship programme enhancing the services provided to the wider Auckland region by the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust. In addition to the standard crew of an advanced paramedic, a fully trained pilot and a qualified crewman, the Beach Patrol service includes a qualified surf lifeguard provided by Surf Lifesaving Northern Region.