Mountainside Evacuation For New Plymouth Teacher

Judie, 65, who is now the undisputed coolest teacher at her school thanks to her experience with the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter, said it should have been a relatively easy hike up and down the mountain. On their way down Puniho track from Kahui Hut, Judie’s small group spotted the perfect clearing for a trail lunch. Walking to the clearing, Judie tripped over a protruding tree root, sending her sprawling forward. Feeling a stab of pain in her arm and immediately queasy, Judie knew this was worse than just a sprain. Electing to use their Personal Locator Beacon over attempting the two-hour trek back to the car with a broken arm, they rang 111, and the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to the scene. Judie was unnerved when she discovered the helicopter was not landing but instead would lift her out using the Taranaki Offshore Partnership Winch. “I looked up and I thought, why is the helicopter not landing? The paramedic was hoisted down, and I said, I'm not going up there! “The medic Amanda had the most lovely approach straight away. She reassured me that it was going to be fine.” Judie said she initially felt bad for requiring an evacuation but was put at ease that the group had done the right thing. “I kept saying ‘I don't want to make a fuss’, and all the rest of it. She [Amanda] reassured me really quickly, ‘you did exactly the right thing.’" Judie praised the entire team but remembered Amanda in particular for her airborne bedside manner, and for popping into the ward to visit Judie before they departed for another mission. Now recovered and back to teaching, Judie said she’s looking for ways to support the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter and the important work we do. She said she shared this lesson with her students. “It was good from an educational point of view. The kids, particularly the boys, they seem to love helicopters and they'll often talk about the helicopter and when it flies overhead, we say, ‘it's the Rescue Helicopter.’ Judie is now looking for opportunities to fundraise for the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust, and urges Taranaki residents to donate. “I'll always feel confident now going tramping, knowing that help is close. “The Rescue Helicopter is a vital service and we need to support it.”