Life Or Death Journey To Auckland

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31880, 7 January 1969, Page 12

Life Or Death Journey To Auckland

(N.Z. Press Association) WANGANUI, Jan. 6. A critically-ill woman 'was rushed 75 miles from Stratford to Wanganui by ambulance and flown by an R.N.Z.A.F. Dakota aircraft to Auckland tonight. For the patient, Mrs Rosemary Corlett, aged 26, of Stratford, the trip was a matter of life or death. A physician at the Stratford Hospital, Dr E. L. Bird, said Mrs Corlett was suffering from a kidney complaint and “simply has to reach Auckland hospital tonight.”

The Air Force was asked to carry out the mercy dash when the Stratford Hospital authorities found that both the Stratford and New Plymouth Airports were closed because of bad weather. The Ohakea Air Force base was contacted and the plane flown to Wanganui. Soon

after the ambulance had left Stratford, fears were held that conditions would not permit the DC3 to land at Wanganui. Had this been the case, it would have taken the ambulance at least 35 minutes to reach Ohakea. The ambulance, escorted throughout lhe journey oy a transport department car reached the Wanganui Airport at 8 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, the DC3 was winging towards Auckland, and arrived at Mangere Airport about 9.45 p.m. Mrs Corlett was met by an ambulance and rushed to Auckland Hospital, where her condition was described as “very sick.”