Waimarino Rescue Trust alive and well

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 47, 12 May 1987, Page 1

Waimarino Rescue Trust alive and well

The Waimarino Rescue Trust met recently to discuss the state of the group and to appoint new trustees. The trust was set up last year to administer the funds raised to equip a locally based helicopter with rescue equipment. Nearly $22,000 of the $47,496 gross amount collected was spent on a rescue kit for the Wanganui Aero Works jet ranger, &t that time in the hands of piiot Louisa Patterson. $6409 of the money spent went on altering the WAW jet ranger to accommodate stretchers. Wanganui Aero Works have agreed to keep a similarly fitted helicopter in the area. The fitting costs are to be written off over ten years. Louisa Patterson, who did much of the promotion work for the fund raising last year, has since left the area. Her replacement pilot for Wanganui Aero Works is Jim Reed, who has already been involved in training sessions with the resuce equipment, working with parks board staff, forestry staff and Winstone Afforestation staff. New members New members of the Waimarino Rescue Trust are Richmond Harding representing Wanganui Aero Works, District Conservator Paul Green representing the Department of Conservation and Sergeant Neil Coker representing the police. Remaining original trustees are Terry Tapp from Winstone Afforestation who was the instigator of the rescue trust, Ian Strachan, Godfrey Harvey, Dorothy Scarrow representing the Wanganui Area Health Board and Bob Walker representing the Accident Compensation Corporation. The trust still has more than $25,000 invested, some of which it plans to spend on more equipment and some it plans to keep invested for equipment replacement. Trust chairperson Terry Tapp said there was still a lot of equipment they could buy but they had to be careful to buy what was suitable. He said it was no use spending money on expensive equipment that the rescuers were not trained to use. Some of the trustees are to meet with Russell Worth cont'd page 6