How your support helped bring Tim home to his family after a devastating farm accident in Crownthorpe.
The Hindmarsh Family found out the hard way just how vital our service is. What should have been a normal day working on the farm in Crownthorpe turned into one of the worst days of their lives.
Tim was out working in the paddocks in his side-by-side ATV when it unexpectedly rolled. He was seriously injured, and his son was the first to find him — unconscious and starting to turn blue from lack of oxygen. His son called emergency services, who dispatched our Rescue Helicopter, and we were on the scene shortly afterwards.
A team effort
As is often the case in these emergencies, it took a team: the local St John Ambulance, Fire Service, and our crew all worked together to attend to Tim. He was intubated at the scene so he could breathe, then loaded into the helicopter for the flight directly to Wellington Hospital’s high-level ICU.
Meanwhile, his family watched it all unfold around them — even the family dog stood guard close by. As our helicopter lifted off with their beloved dad on board, they jumped in the car and raced to Wellington to find out if he would be okay.
Because of the severity of Tim’s injuries, our helicopter was full with medical staff needed to monitor and treat him in flight, so there wasn’t room for family to fly with him. Tim remained unconscious, unaware of everything happening around him, while his family endured what was likely the most stressful drive of their lives.
Partway through that drive, they received a call from ICU: Tim had spinal injuries, later confirmed as a broken neck.
In their own words
The Hindmarsh family shared this message with us afterwards:
“We want to express our deepest gratitude for your swift and professional response on Thursday the 29th of May, when Tim had his farm accident in Crownthorpe. Your fast action, calm presence, and expert care made all the difference. We are in no doubt that if it weren’t for your immediate efforts, Tim’s life would have been at risk. It’s impossible to truly express how much that means to us all.”
The road to recovery
Our helicopter took just over an hour to reach the roof of Wellington Hospital, where the specialist care Tim needed was already waiting. He spent 8 days in Wellington ICU before moving to a ward, and was later transferred back to Hawke’s Bay Hospital to finish his recovery closer to home.
Why this matters
The Hindmarsh Family have been supporters of ours for 10 years. Their story is a powerful reminder of why our service exists, and what’s possible when a community rallies around it.
