Life Flight

One second, he was easing his quad bike down a narrow track in the Tararua Forest Park. The next, the front wheels dug in, the machine flipped, and 150 kilos of metal slammed down onto his chest.

I was yelling, screaming, ‘Quick, get the bike off me!’ It was still running and spilling petrol on me.

Paul had been transporting his client, Gareth, through dense forest after a hunting trip.

Now, the light was fading, and every passing minute was making it worse.

Gareth activated his Personal Locator Beacon and within minutes the Life Flight Westpac Rescue Helicopter was hovering above the trees.

Critical Care Paramedic Glen was winched down to reach Paul.

Glen told me, ‘You’re rattling’. That’s when I realised there’s a lot of issues with my chest.

The amount of painkillers he gave me to get the pain under control so they could put the harness on was just incredible.”

Paul had broken 14 ribs plus his right shoulder and had a bleeding spleen and liver.

The Life Flight crew quickly stabilised him, and flew him to Wellington Hospital, where surgeons operated for hours. He had four steel plates placed behind his ribs and another plate in his shoulder.

Paul can’t bear to think what would have happened if the Westpac Chopper hadn’t been there.