A search and rescue mission that led to Joe Ganley spending a night in the bush with a rescue patient made such an impact that he discovered a new calling and immediately applied to be a crewman on the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter – and the rest is history!
Joining the team with plenty of experience in the field, Joe brings with him a background working as a Ski Patroller on Mt Ruapehu. This role saw him spending time on the snow carrying out medic duties, mitigating avalanche risks, completing technical rescues and safety inspections – and of course, the occasional mission skiing on the slopes.
Now having recently made the move to New Plymouth, Joe is looking forward to serving our fantastic local community with the rescue helicopter.
‘It's amazing how many people come up and talk to us in our uniforms, and they tell us a story about how they or someone they know was helped by us. It's truly amazing how far the community reach is.’As a keen traveller, Joe has always enjoyed exploring his own backyard and different parts of New Zealand. The opportunity to join the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter crew was perfect for Joe as it combined his love of travel and seeing the country with his passion for medicine and rescue.
While still new to the Taranaki community, Joe is loving how friendly and welcoming everyone has been. He has already been soaking up the great outdoors the region has to offer and was pleasantly surprised just how many activities were in such close range – a few of his favourites include skiing, hiking, surfing, and fly fishing.
Joe is now focusing on integrating himself into the community while also further his learning, with just one semester left before completing a BhSC in Paramedicine!
