Night rescue by helicopter

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32564, 25 March 1971, Page 3

Night rescue by helicopter

(New Zealand Press Association) KAITAIA, March 24. Two hazardous landings, one in darkness at the foot of a cliff, were made by a New Zealand Navy helicopter last night to bring a seriously ill rating to Kaitaia Hospital.

The sick man is Douglas S. Southward, aged 25, of Northcote, Auckland; who was a member of the shore survey party from H.M.N.Z.S. Lachlan at Scott’s Point, at the northern end of Ninety Mile Beach. The rescue flight began at 11.40 p.m. yesterday when the Wasp helicopter, piloted by Lieutenant W, flew from the Lachlan, which was then 23 miles off Cape Reinga. Lieutenant Devon landed in darkness, guided only by the beams of a torch, to pick up the sick man, who 'is suffering from an internal complaint.

The man’s condition today was said to be serious.

The helicopter then flew 70 miles to Kaitaia Aerodrome, which has no lights. The aerodrome supervisor (Mr A. Bennie) marked out a landing pad and illuminated it with car headlights and the flashing red light of a traffic officer’s car. At 12.21 a.m. Lieutenant Devon landed. At that stage he had sufficient fuel for only 12 minutes flying time. Lieutenant Devon and his crew spent the night at a nearby hotel, and this morning returned to the survey ship.