Latest news with #WaikatoHospital
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Man critically injured after trapped by fallen tree
Photo: 123RF A Tauranga man has been critically injured after a tree fell during stormy weather on Friday. Police said they were informed at 7.20pm that a man on a tractor had been trapped by a falling tree. A spokesperson said the incident looked "to have taken place at an orchard property". "The person sustained critical injuries and was airlifted to hospital," they said. WorkSafe had also been notified. St John said they sent an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, a manager, and a helicopter to the property in Pyes Pā just after 7pm. The patient was airlifted to Waikato Hospital. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Scoop
Man Arrested And Charged, Vehicle Impounded After Gathering Of Anti-socialRoad Users, Hamilton"
Police have arrested and charged a 20-year-old man following a large gathering of anti-social road users in Hamilton. At around 11pm on Saturday 24 May, Police were called to Airport Road where approximately 300 cars were said to be congregating, with around 20 cars performing skids on the road. The group dispersed when Police arrived. Over the course of the night, Police received multiple reports of other large groups of anti-social road users at other locations around the city and outlying areas. In one of these instances, a man was struck by a car doing burnouts on Horotiu Bridge Road at around 12.45am. The driver of the vehicle immediately fled the scene, without stopping to provide assistance to the injured man. The man was transported to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition. While no arrests were made at the time, Police have sourced and reviewed relevant CCTV and online footage, and will continue to identify and locate anyone we can identify committing offences. The 20-year-old man has been remanded on bail and is due to reappear in Hamilton District Court on Friday 30 May, charged with operating a vehicle in a manner to cause sustained loss of traction causing injury, and failing to stop to ascertain injury. The vehicle used to conduct anti-social road user behaviour was impounded for 28 days, and was issued a non-operation order, ordering the vehicle off the road. A significant investigation is underway into the incidents that unfolded and Police expect to impound more vehicles, and lay further charges to individuals identified committing offences at the time. If you have any information that could assist our enquiries, please contact Police via 105 and reference Operation Shadow.
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Herald
US tourist breaks her back in head-on Bay of Plenty campervan crash
Hato Hone St John said they were notified of a motor vehicle accident in Omanawa at 11.07am and responded with three ambulances, one manager, one rapid response unit, and one helicopter. 'Our crews assessed and treated three patients, one in a critical condition and one in a moderate condition, who were airlifted to Waikato Hospital, and one in a serious condition who was transported by road to Tauranga Hospital.' According to a post by Phillippi's travel partner, she was set to go to Australia, Bali and Japan, but would remain in New Zealand 'a bit longer than expected' following the crash. In an Instagram post last week, Phillippi said: 'I was involved in a head-on collision a few days ago. I had to be airlifted to the hospital, where I discovered I have broken my back, nose, and my legs experienced some trauma. 'I'm so thankful to still be here, and I'm thankful for all the people who have checked in on me.' She said her parents 'dropped everything to be by my side. They have been so strong for me, and I love them so much. Just feeling overwhelmed with gratitude at the moment. 'Life moves fast. A day, a minute, a singular second – that's how long it takes for the life you've held so perfect and praised to bring about such a crazy and drastic change. 'Things happen that remind you how little control you actually do have.' Phillippi said the experience was humbling, 'having ... my mom feed me at 20 years old is quite a humbling experience. Wasn't how I thought I would spend my last months being 20.' She was grateful the situation wasn't worse and had turned to her faith to deal with the aftermath of the incident. 'It's easy in these situations to ask God why, but I have found myself only asking why it wasn't worse. He has shown up in this big mess. He was there when my side didn't have an airbag and my face was barely saved from being shattered. 'He was there when the witnesses just happened to be rescue divers and knew exactly what to do to keep me awake till the heli got there.' Recovery efforts begin – 'bedridden and in a body brace' It is unclear how long her recovery will take or how long she will need to remain in New Zealand. A GoFundMe was set up on behalf of the Phillippi family, where funds will go towards 'medical expenses and the significant cost of medical transport to bring her home when she's stable enough to travel'. Phillippi wrote on social media that surgeons 'want to do everything possible to keep me from surgery since I'm so young'. 'So I will be bedridden and in a body brace for a couple weeks until I can stand, and if the bones stay in place then they won't go through with surgery.' She said she hoped her bones would heal on their own without intervention. The rental vehicle company, Travellers Autobarn, and the Phillippi family have been approached for comment.
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
New pacemaker being tested in New Zealand
A pacemaker X-ray image. Photo: 123RF A new pacemaker being tested in New Zealand could help patients with heart failure feel and move better. The device has been designed to copy the heart's natural rhythm, speeding up and slowing down in sync with breathing. The first trial patient got one at Waikato Hospital just before Christmas. Cardiologist and University of Auckland medicine Professor Dr Martin Stiles, who was overseeing the trial, said the new pacemaker showed promising results in a study with sheep with heart failure. The university tested whether sheep's ability to exercise was improved by a variable heart pacemaker. Sheep's heart functions are similar to humans. "Sheep with this respiratory variability pacing had an increase in their cardiac output by 23 percent compared to the sheep who were paced in the normal fashion. This is a dramatic increase in cardiac output," Stiles said. "Furthermore, what we've shown is that those sheep are fitter so that they can exercise more and their heart rate recovers much quicker than the sheep that have the other sort of pacing." Stiles said Auckland, Adelaide, Melbourne and Bristol in the UK were other potential centres for trials. "Once we get these trials underway, we hope to roll it out more widely, initially probably in patients who are receiving pacemakers anyway, who have heart failure. But ultimately, perhaps it might be a treatment on its own, that is to say if someone doesn't need a pacemaker, this could be a reason to put one in," he said. "We've been talking to some of the larger pacemaker companies about trying to take on this technology and develop it with us. "Once you have one of these technologies getting it out to the wider world is challenging, but we're hopeful we can and we're really proud to be doing this in New Zealand, leading it from New Zealand." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
20-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
5 vehicle accidents among Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter missions in April
On April 3, the rescue helicopter crew performed multiple missions, including one in Putāruru to assist a male in critical condition. The critical care flight paramedic performed a rapid sequence intubation (RSI), an advanced airway management used in trauma, cardiac arrest or severe respiratory distress situations. The patient was stabilised and then airlifted to Waikato Hospital for further treatment. On April 5, the helicopter was dispatched to Rotorua Hospital for a female who had sustained serious injuries from a fall and required swift transportation to another hospital. She was flown to Waikato Hospital for further care. Two days later, the rescue helicopter was tasked to Matamata for a male who had sustained serious injuries in a fall. The patient was stabilised and airlifted to Waikato Hospital for further treatment. On April 10, the helicopter was dispatched to Te Aroha for a female experiencing a serious cardiac event. The onboard critical care flight paramedic performed an RSI before the woman was airlifted to Waikato Hospital for further treatment. The next morning, the rescue helicopter was tasked to Whangamatā to assist a male experiencing a serious medical event. The patient was stabilised on scene and flown to Waikato Hospital for further treatment. After completing several missions in the afternoon, the crew was later sent to Great Barrier Island Airfield for a male in critical condition. The patient was treated on scene for about 30 minutes before being airlifted to Auckland City Hospital. On April 12, the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Tokoroa for a male who had sustained injuries. He was airlifted to Waikato Hospital to receive further treatment. On April 21, the helicopter was tasked to Mimi for a male who had sustained significant trauma injuries. The onboard critical care flight paramedic provided treatment before airlifting him to Waikato Hospital for further care. That evening, the rescue helicopter flew to Rotorua Hospital after being dispatched to assist a female who was in serious condition. The patient was airlifted to Waikato Hospital for further treatment. On April 24, the rescue helicopter was dispatched to Te Rerenga for a female who sustained serious injuries in a motor vehicle incident. The patient was treated on scene and, once stabilised, was airlifted to Waikato Hospital for further care. On April 28, the helicopter flew to Whitianga to assist a male experiencing a serious medical event. He was stabilised on scene before being airlifted to Waikato Hospital for further treatment. The month concluded with the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter being dispatched on April 29 to Gisborne Hospital for a male suffering from a medical event. He was flown to Waikato Hospital for further medical care. Meanwhile, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter, which services the Central Plateau and Lakes region, carried out 30 missions throughout April. Among those were 13 inter-hospital transfers, two medical events, 10 rural/farm incidents and three motor vehicle accidents. The Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was most often seen in Taupō and Rotorua, but also completed missions in remote locations including Mt Ruapehu, Ruatahuna and Wairakei.
