Serious MVA State Highway 1 North of Taupo

At approximately 1pm Saturday afternoon The Rotorua based BayTrust Rescue Helicopter, Taupo’s Greenlea Rescue Helicopter & the Waikato based Westpac Rescue Helicopter were all dispatched to the scene of a multiple motor vehicle accident North of Taupo.

There were several vehicles involved in the crash including a truck, motorbike, ute and mini van. There were multiple patients.

There was a large response from the emergency services, with some people entrapped in the vehicles. State Highway 1 was closed as a result and allowed all three rescue helicopters to land on the road at the crash scene.

The Rotorua based chopper flew 2 patients to Taupo hospital, then uplifted a 3rd patient with serious injuries and flew the 24 year old man from Palmerston North to Rotorua Hospital.

Both the Westpac Rescue helicopter & the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter flew seriously injured patients to Waikato hospital.

Philips Search and Rescue Trust (PSRT) is a charitable organisation, operating rescue helicopters throughout the Central North Island. Philips Search and Rescue Trust relies on support from principal sponsors and community donations. Special thanks to Rotorua’s principal sponsor, BayTrust. This crucial financial support ensures our rescue helicopters can continue to bring life-saving equipment, rescue personnel and trauma-trained medics directly to the patient. For further information about PSRT visit our website rescue.org.nz