Call for locals to support chopper appeal

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Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter ambassador Joey Yovich is calling on holiday-makers to dig deep and donate to the chopper service’s annual fundraising appeal this weekend.

Since 2012 more than 1,300 locals have been flown to safety by the Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter Service. Yovich says the service is integral to the wellbeing of Northlanders and visitors to the region.

And with the summer influx of holiday makers just around the corner the local population is set to swell – putting even more demand on Northland’s air ambulance service. Hundreds of thousands of holiday-makers make their way to Northland over summer. Northland’s Electricity Rescue Helicopter Service divides its Northland territory into six zones.

Mangawhai is included in the Lower North East zone and so far this year 262 patients have been transported within the zone. Last year the total was 388, up from 331 in 2013, clearly highlighting the criticality of the service.

In total, 735 flights were made in Northland in 2014 with 800 patients transported and well over 1,100 hours flown. “The work this service does, and the effort of the people associated with it is quite remarkable,” says Yovich. “Demand for it is growing by the year and it is one of the busiest air ambulance services in New Zealand.

Our Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopters spend more time in the air than any other rescue helicopter service in New Zealand so it is clear to see how much it is relied on to help people.” In one year Northland’s Electricity Rescue Helicopters cover around 300,000 km, the equivalent of seven times around the world. Yovich, a Sport Northland Community Sport Advisor is currently fronting the service’s annual fundraising appeal and wants Northlanders and visitors to the region this Labour weekend to donate and help save lives – either at Givealittle, with the official appeal envelope or at www.nest.org.nz “Some of the flights can cost as much as $8,000 given the length of country so it is really important we all get in behind this campaign and donate now.

Northland lines companies Top Energy and Northpower have contributed millions of dollars to the service since 1988 but we still rely heavily on public donations. “I’m really hoping we can raise $200,000 in this campaign. It’s important we do. You only have to talk to friends, family or colleagues to find someone who has had their life saved by the service. More than 17,000 people have been flown since 1988- that’s’ a pretty compelling reason for us all to support it,” says Yovich.

SAFE HANDS: Joey Yovich gets to grips with the helicopter simulator.