Race to pluck man off ship
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/28...pluck-man-ship
In a race against darkness, the crew of the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter flew a challenging mission on Friday night to save a man who lost part of an arm in an accident aboard a foreign fishing vessel. New Zealand fisheries observer Martin Bowers, whose brother is Dunedin doctor Andrew Bowers, is now in Dunedin Hospital having had a forearm mutilated when his life jacket became snagged on a conveyor belt on a Korean fishing vessel about 105km southeast of Bluff on Friday night.
Helicopters Otago owner and pilot Graeme Gale said the mission required flying 180km from the Taieri airport to the ship, which took about one hour.
''We were fighting fading light ... the tricky bit is winching the person and paramedic up, but we got it done in daylight.''
Night-vision goggles and instrumentation were required for the flight back to Dunedin, he said.
''There were a lot of challenges. To get him to hospital in under three hours is pretty amazing when you're talking about the Southern Ocean.''
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) has launched an investigation into the accident.
The rescue helicopter was called about 8.30pm after Mr Bowers, a fisheries observer with the Ministry for Primary Industries, suffered the injury.
A paramedic was winched on to the ship, where he stabilised Mr Bowers (47), who is from Whitianga, before he was flown to Dunedin Hospital about 9.30pm, a MNZ spokeswoman said.
Mr Bowers' mother, Mary, said her son had a ''total, horrible accident'' as he was putting on his life jacket.
''Part of it caught in a belt that was moving, and it tore his shoulder out and mutilated his arm a bit. He's had part of his arm cut off. Horrific.''
Mr Bowers' dislocated shoulder had to be put back into place, while his forearm had to be amputated below the elbow.
Mr Bowers' uncle, George Robertson, said his nephew had been climbing up towards the ship's deck when the life jacket was caught in a conveyor belt.
''It yanked him in there, tore his left arm right out of the socket.''
Mr Robertson said his nephew was expected to remain in hospital for at least two weeks.
Helicopters Otago owner and pilot Graeme Gale said the mission required flying 180km from the Taieri airport to the ship, which took about one hour.
''We were fighting fading light ... the tricky bit is winching the person and paramedic up, but we got it done in daylight.''
Night-vision goggles and instrumentation were required for the flight back to Dunedin, he said.
''There were a lot of challenges. To get him to hospital in under three hours is pretty amazing when you're talking about the Southern Ocean.''
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) has launched an investigation into the accident.
The rescue helicopter was called about 8.30pm after Mr Bowers, a fisheries observer with the Ministry for Primary Industries, suffered the injury.
A paramedic was winched on to the ship, where he stabilised Mr Bowers (47), who is from Whitianga, before he was flown to Dunedin Hospital about 9.30pm, a MNZ spokeswoman said.
Mr Bowers' mother, Mary, said her son had a ''total, horrible accident'' as he was putting on his life jacket.
''Part of it caught in a belt that was moving, and it tore his shoulder out and mutilated his arm a bit. He's had part of his arm cut off. Horrific.''
Mr Bowers' dislocated shoulder had to be put back into place, while his forearm had to be amputated below the elbow.
Mr Bowers' uncle, George Robertson, said his nephew had been climbing up towards the ship's deck when the life jacket was caught in a conveyor belt.
''It yanked him in there, tore his left arm right out of the socket.''
Mr Robertson said his nephew was expected to remain in hospital for at least two weeks.
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