Constable recovering

Press, 26 December 1986, Page 4

Constable recovering

Constable Keith de Dulin is recovering and is keen to team up with his police dog puppet, Sniff, and return to television and radio as “soon as possible.” Constable de Dulin was injured in a helicopter crash on the West Coast in October that killed three of his police colleagues. Constable de Dulin is out of hospital for four days to spend Christmas with his family. “I’m feeling very well although still lack a lot

of strength,” he said. Constable de Dulin was able to appear on a Christchurch radio programme in a special Christmas broadcast to children yesterday. Although he uses crutches to walk at home and is mostly confined to a wheelchair when in hospital, Constable de Dulin is undergoing intensive physiotherapy to build up his strength. “I was laid flat on my back for six weeks after the accident and was only able to get out of

bed last week,” he said. “It is good to be getting well and I am looking forward to getting back on the programme.” Constable de Dulin was a regular guest on the children’s television programme, “What Now,” with the police dog puppet, Sniff, and also had a Sunday morning stint on radio. The programmes were part of the police education programme. Get well cards had poured in from throughout New Zealand since the accident on October

23, he said. Constable de Dulin said he might be back on police duties by the end of February. Two other men who were injured in the accident, Constable Mathew Scully and the helicopter pilot, Mr Trevor Small, have recently been discharged from hospital. Two Christchurch policemen died in the accident. The accident victims were involved in the “Coppers for Charity” fund-raising run round the South Island.