R.N.Z.A.F. Flying-Boat Carries Sick Woman

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29921, 7 September 1962, Page 16

R.N.Z.A.F. Flying-Boat Carries Sick Woman

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND. Sept. 5. A Fijian woman was lying comfortably in Suva Hospital on Tuesday night after a journey from Yasawa Island. 120 miles north-west of Suva by a flying-boat of the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Lauthala bay. On Monday night, the woman complained of abdominal pains and on Tuesday a radio-telephone call to the Suva Health Department resulted in Squadron Leader K. R. Bremner, of Wellington, station medical officer at Lauthala Bay, recommending a journey to transport her to hospital. Within an hour of the decision a flight crew had been briefed and was ready to take off Within another hour the flying-boat was at the rendezvous.

Then, after a further hour of a taxi-ing round a 14-foot dinghy was seen in the distance. It was another half hour before the boatload of Fijians could come alongside the aircraft. With nine people on board, the little boat narrowly missed being swamped several times in the choppy water. The patient, lying tn a cane mat, was lifted on

board. The patient's husband also travelled to Suva. The captain of the aircraft Squadron Leader B. J. O’Connor, of Christchurch, had to make a night landing because of the forced delay.