Motor vehicle accidents made up half the week’s missions by the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter, including flights to the Waikato.
The week starting Monday, November 25, was a big one for the team with patients involved in three of the six missions having to be transported to Waikato Hospital.
The reported missions for the period started just before 3pm on Tuesday when the Eastland Rescue Helicopter responded to a medical event at Te Araroa. The patient was in a serious condition and was flown to Gisborne Hospital.
The week continued November 27 (11.15am) when the team were called out to another medical event, this time in the Wharerata Ranges, near Mōrere. They flew the patient in serious condition to Waikato Hospital.
On November 27 (1.50pm), after handing their patient over at Waikato Hospital, the team were immediately dispatched to a multi-vehicle road accident on State Highway 1 near Tīrau. They flew the patient in critical condition to Waikato Hospital.
The next day at 12.30pm, the helicopter responded to a motor vehicle accident at Hiruhārama, near Ruatōria, flying the patient in serious condition to Waikato Hospital.
On Friday (November 29, 6.30pm), the team were dispatched to yet another motor vehicle accident, this time at Mahia where the on-board critical care flight paramedic assessed and treated two patients. One was flown in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.
The mission log for the week was completed with a job that started in one reporting week and ended in the next.
At 10pm on Sunday, the team responded to a medical event at Ruatōria and returned just after midnight on Monday, landing at Gisborne Hospital with their patient in serious condition.
Another four cruise ships coming after great start to season
December promises to be another great month for cruise ship visits, according to an Eastland Port spokeswoman.
“We had a great start to the cruise season, welcoming five cruise ships to our region,” she said.
“We’re especially excited to greet passengers from the four cruise ships scheduled to visit this month.”
The first is the Scenic Eclipse 11, returning for its second season visit this Saturday.
The Silver Nova calls on December 18, the National Geographic Orion returns the next day, and the giant Westerdam will sail into the bay on December 30.
The Silver Nova weighs 54,700 gross tonnes, has nine passenger decks, is 244m long, and carries 728 passengers and 556 crew.
The Westerdam will be the biggest ship to call here so far this summer. It carries 1964 passengers and 800 crew, weighs 82,500 gross tonnes, has 11 passenger decks and is 254m long.
The National Geographic Orion will make her fourth visit this season and will dock, as will the Scenic Eclipse 11.
The other two will anchor in Turanganui-a-Kiwa/Poverty Bay for the day.
The spokeswoman also said nine log ships had visited in November, loading more than 224,000 tonnes of logs.
Most regional swim spots safe as mercury rises
The thoughts of a lot of Tairāwhiti people will be on a cool swim somewhere this week as the region looks set to bake in 30C temperatures over the next few days.
Met Service predicts highs of 29C today, 30 tomorrow and Thursday, 24 on Friday and 27 on Saturday and Sunday.
The latest water quality figures from LAWA (Land Air Water Aotearoa) on the Gisborne District Council website show most swimming and bathing sites are safe to use.
Sites deemed safe are Anaura Bay north lagoon; Anaura Bay opposite the north and south camp areas; Hamanatua Stream Okitu; Pouawa; Kaiti Beach at Gisborne Yacht Club; Rere Rockslide; Karakatuwhero River; Rere Falls; Midway Surf Life Saving Club; Tokomaru Bay; Makorori settlement; Tolaga Bay (both the surf club end and the wharf end); Tūranganui River; Waiapu River; Waikanae at Grey St; Waiapu River; Waimata River at Anzac Park; Wainui Beach; Waipiro Bay; and Wherowhero Lagoon.
The test sites where water quality is poor” are Makarika Stream; Mangahauini River, Turihaua beach, Turihaua at the bridge on SH35, Ūawa River on SH35, Urukokamuka Stream, Waiotu Stream, Waipaoa River; and the Wharekahika River.
No data was available for Hangaroa River, Lottin Point Beach, Onepoto Bay and Te Araroa.
The city beaches drew some swimmers on Sunday with a daytime temperature high of 24-25C.
Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club ran a patrol that day and club manager Clara Wilson said there were good numbers in the water.
“There were quite a lot of people on the beach and in the water during the patrol time. The patrol carried out a few preventative actions but there were no rescue incidents.”
A sizeable southerly swell ran in the Bay on Sunday.
