Watch: Helicopter makes dramatic rescue in flood-stricken Hawke's Bay

Thursday, 16 February 2023

With floodwaters making it impossible to land, the helicopter had to balance on the edge of a roof (Source: Hawke's Bay Civil Defence).

Hawke’s Bay Emergency Management is being praised following a dramatic helicopter rescue in flood-stricken Hawke’s Bay on Wednesday.

It was on Gilligan Road, just south of Napier, where a rescue chopper balanced on the edge of a roof to help evacuate a member of the public.

Floodwaters made the task of landing difficult, Hawke’s Bay Emergency Management said.

“Extreme courage, skill and hope on display here, thank you to Trevor for providing this incredible footage of a daring rescue at Gilligan Road today,” Hawke’s Bay Emergency Management posted to Facebook.

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Emergency Management is being praised after a dramatic helicopter rescue in flood-stricken Hawke’s Bay on Wednesday.

The footage shows one of the landing skids balancing on a part of a roof, while the rest of the house was completely submerged.

A member of the public is boarded onto the chopper, and the helicopter takes off as the assisting rescue worker moves back.

“The amazing skill and dedication to do that in those conditions. Risking your own life to save so many others!” one commenter wrote.

”Well done guys, you are bloody heroes,” another said.

Meanwhile, a man helping chopper crews pluck people from roofs in Hawke’s Bay believes the death toll is likely worse than reported, having seen at least one body floating in water he could not reach.

On Wednesday, a young child was found dead in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle and more than 1400 people have been reported uncontactable, police say.

On Thursday morning, police said a person found dead in the Gisborne region likely died as a result of being caught in flood waters.

While the number of reports included double-ups of reports made of the same person by different people and many thought to be the result of communication lines being down, police had “grave concerns” for several people they confirmed were missing.

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Police set up a major operations centre at Police National Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon with one of its tasks to help people get in touch with friends or family in storm-affected areas that were unreachable.

An online 105 form was set up to register the names of family members.

As of 2.30pm on Wednesday, 1442 people had registered people uncontactable via the form, police said.