Holly Parkes
Bill Climo and his wife Shelley thanked staff at the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter base, paramedic Zoe Farmer and pilot Brendan Hiatt, after he was flown from his Collingwood property to Nelson Hospital with a shattered leg.
With his leg broken in five places, Bill Climo was in a bad way.
The 68-year-old had been cleaning the top of a water tank at his property in Collingwood, Golden Bay when the aluminium ladder he was standing on slipped sideways.
It was only two metres off the ground but as he fell, one of his legs got caught between the rungs.
Pinned by the ladder, his femur shattered when he hit the ground “and my foot just about hit me in the face, which wasn’t great.”
In shock and unable to move his leg which was “skew-whiff”, Climo fortunately had his cellphone in a pocket and dialled 111.
Within a short time a Collingwood first response vehicle was at the Climo property – a tourist destination because of its tame eels. An ambulance was also on its way from Tākaka and, realising the severity of his injury, the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter was called.
Martin De Ruyter/Stuff
The October fundraising appeal for the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter helps it stay in the sky, performing a vital and often life-saving service across the top of the south.
Climo said the wait felt relatively short. As relatives comforted him, his leg hurt but shock may have dulled the full extent of the pain.
“I could hear (the helicopter) in the distance coming and that was a real good sound,” he said.
The crew landed in the Collingwood Area School grounds and a helicopter paramedic gave him an injection of ketamine that allowed them to straighten his leg before the flight to Nelson Hospital.
That flight took around 25 minutes compared to the more than two hours an ambulance would have taken over the winding Tākaka Hill.
“They do such a good job, those guys,” Climo said. “It would have been a horrible experience otherwise.”
Climo is one of the many grateful patients helped by the rescue helicopter which is holding is annual fundraising appeal this month.
MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF
Paul “Ernie” Bryant is leaving his position as chief crewman of the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter after a long aviation career involving over 4000 rescue missions. (Video first published June 2023)
NBS branches are also hosting quiz nights, raffles, and bingo, along with running sausage sizzles and selling firewood. Other businesses are also pitching in, including Salvito’s Pizza, Mitre 10 MEGA and the Hampden Hotel in Murchison. Nelson’s Kia car dealership is aiming to raise $10,000 by donating a portion of each sale during October.
Climo spent 12 days in Nelson Hospital after his accident on March 4 this year.
He is now walking around without a crutch, but still has a number of screws and plates holding his leg together.
Climo hasn’t received the all clear to return to his school bus driving job in Collingwood because he is unable to fully straighten his knee.
He said he would now take more notice of his wife Shelley, who told him on the day of the accident before she left for Nelson, not to “do anything silly, and don’t climb ladders”.
A few weeks ago he and Shelley dropped off bags of goodies at the helicopter’s Nelson airport base to thank the staff directly.
“We are so lucky to have that service,” Bill Climo said.
For details of the helicopter’s appeal month activities go to: nbshelicopterappeal.nz
Helicopter stats
The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter crew respond to an average of 400 callouts throughout the Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, and Buller regions each year.
The service is available non-stop: 24/7, 365 days a year.
The average cost of one call-out is $3500.
The service is partially funded by a joint venture between ACC and the Ministry of Health. The remaining 40% of operational costs ($1.65 million per annum) must be raised through sponsorships and fundraising.
The rescue helicopter crew comprise pilots, crewmen and critical care flight paramedics.
