After a long and busy weaning period on his Waikite Valley farm, Mark was looking forward to a weekend holiday with his family.
He just had one last job… Shift some cows.
It should’ve been straight-forward – but a single cow decided to make a break for it. Mark took off after her, and ended up driving his UTV on a different terrain. It was at this moment that something went terribly wrong.
His wheels slipped. The UTV tipped over, and rolled four times. Mark tried desperately to hang on for dear life, but he was tossed out and ended up underneath 600kg of twisted metal.
Incredibly, one of his staff was driving along nearby. Craig spotted the UTV, and went over to investigate - getting the shock of his life when he found his boss lying underneath.
Somehow, Craig managed to lift the machine up high enough for Mark to drag himself out. But he was critically injured, and needed to get to hospital ASAP.
The problem was, the nearest ambulance was an hour away - time Mark didn’t have to spare. Every minute that passed only put him in greater danger.
Thanks to amazing supporters of the rescue helicopter, there was another option. After a 111 call, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter took to the air - and the farm staff soon heard the sound of whirring chopper blades in the distance.
As soon as the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter landed, the Critical Care Flight Paramedic came over and stabilised Mark’s condition, providing an ICU standard of care right there at the scene, and throughout the swift flight to hospital.
To give you an idea of how seriously Mark was injured, he ended up spending 6 whole days in the hospital’s High Dependency Unit.
It hasn’t been an easy road to recovery, but Mark is now doing a lot better, and he and his family are grateful beyond words.
In a heartfelt gesture of thanks, Mark and his family have chosen to donate 100% of the proceeds from a charity bull auction to the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter > https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/roll-up-to-support-charity-bull-auctions/#google_vignette
Everything we do at the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter is made possible by generous Kiwis like you. Thank you so much for helping us save lives in your community! Donate today to save more lives like Mark's > https://give.rescue.org.nz/event/greenlea-rescue-helicopter/donate