Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter Service

17/06/2026

PROPERTY BROKERS CHARITY AUCTION STRIKES CHORD WITH BIDDERS! 🎉

Bidding at this year's 20th Property Brokers Hawke's Bay Charity Auction was considerably strong, raising a staggering $84,850 for local charities!

The impressive figure is to be split evenly amongst the Cancer Society Hawke's Bay, Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust and the Property Brokers Community Fund.

A fantastic night to be a part of with some incredible generosity in the room. A HUGE debt of THANKS to Property Brokers Hawke's Bay for nominating our lifesaving service. 🙏👏🚁

15/06/2026

A SPECIAL THANKS to Gourmeats Peak Trail Blazer Coordinator, Brendan Bourke for calling in to the hangar recently with a cheque for $8,000 for our Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter!

It's the first time our lifesaving service has been selected as a recipient charity of the event's proceeds and we are incredibly grateful for the inclusion.

Fellow recipient Havelock North Primary will put part of their proceeds towards a shade sale over one of the school's basketball courts, while ours will help fund a lifesaving air medical mission. 🙏🚁

13/06/2026

Inter Hospital Transfers (IHT's) account for approximately 45-50% of total mission volumes for the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter in Hawke's Bay.

Overall, hospital transfers and urgent accident-scene responses combined make up more than 80% of our charity's annual workload, emphasising the need for community support to keep us mission ready.

2025 stats breakdown:

IHT's: 160 missions
Accident-Related Rescues: 100 missions
General Medical Events: 73 missions
Search and Rescue (SAR): 19 missions

This week the crew airlifted a female patient for pre-term labour complications from Hastings Hospital to Wellington Hospital, to undergo further specialist treatment.

Side note - To stave off any fatigue, Wellington crew gave our crew a sweet lunch snack for the flight home.

11/06/2026

Positive patient outcomes aren’t always possible but in the case of father-of-four Thomas McKenzie, when time wasn’t on his side our crew was there in his hour of desperate need.

'They are the reason I still have my husband, and our children still have their daddy.'

09/06/2026

If you follow our Rescue Helicopter missions and activity you can also give us a follow on Instagram! 🚁

08/06/2026

Our Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter crew responded to a road accident near Maraekakaho yesterday, involving a car and a cyclist.

The critically injured patient was stabilised on scene by both a Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Critical Care Flight Paramedic and a St John’s ambulance medic.

The road was reopened once the patient had been transported to hospital for further treatment, and the scene assessed.

We wish the patient all the best with their recovery. 🚁

04/06/2026

👏🏻 👏🏻

Event organiser Claire Wilson says the event shows how one little idea can have an impact.

03/06/2026

THAT'S A WRAP ON CHOPPER APPEAL MONTH! 🚁

The month of May represents national Chopper Appeal Month and we celebrate by recapping with a few snapshots of activity over the month in Hawke's Bay.

Including a record breaking Westpac Chopper Appeal Quiz night, attended by 150 quizzers and raising almost $12,000 for our Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Service!

Workplace auctions and fundraising also featured and of course, our annual Chopper Street Appeal.

With operational costs rising and last year 9,330 lifesaving missions flown by the national network of rescue helicopters – including 352 in the Hawkes Bay region – there's no denying the need for fundraising support is more essential now than ever before.

We'd like to thank Westpac NZ and all our amazing volunteers and team for getting behind this incredibly worthy appeal. 🚁🙏

28/05/2026

RECENT MISSIONS 🚁

🚁 Pilot Bill, Paramedic Jack and ACO Julian were called to help a male patient suffering a cardiac event on the Mahia Peninsula. When our crew arrived St. John ambulance staff were on scene and had started treatment, the patient needed airlifting to hospital and en route his condition improved.

🚁 Tuesday night two people were transported to hospital (one by rescue helicopter), suffering serious to moderate head injuries after a car crashed on Blackburn Rd in Onga Onga into a tree and fence. St. John ambulance and four fire crews were also in attendance.

We wish all our patients the best with their recoveries.

26/05/2026

Horsepower, community and a stable of large and loyal supporters has got the Winter Olympics 🦄 over the line in their quest to purchase a new Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) for the rescue helicopter! The grassroots equestrian event has raised an impressive $68,000 for our lifesaving service and a mammoth $102,000 in total for local community groups. 👏🏻 👏🏻