A story of Life Flight

Here's a nice story to read on a heavily snowy winter day in midwest America about a rescue service downunder in New Zealand called "Life Flight" who "ensures a critically ill person can be flown under the watchful eye of an expert intensive medical care team, whether by plane or helicopter."
A particular successful rescue story by Life Flight was told in this press release:

John Masters was saved by the Life Flight Trust after he suffered a life-threatening illness at sea four years ago.

He is now on a six-week cycle tour around the South Island to raise funds for the Life Flight Trust, operators of the Wellington Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

John was sailing in the Global Challenge yacht race in 2004 when a freak wave struck his boat. He received serious injuries and needed urgent medical care so an air rescue was his only hope for survival.

The Wellington Westpac Rescue Helicopter lifted John from the boat then flew him to the Chatham Islands. There he was loaded into a Life Flight air ambulance aeroplane and flown to Wellington Hospital to receive the life-saving care he required.

John says, "Along with the amazing medical skills of the yacht's doctor and seamanship of the skipper and crew, Life Flight saved my life.

I guess in U.S. we can count on U.S.Coast Guards. But I think all coastal communities would be beneficial to have something like Life Flight, not to burden everything to the Coast Guards. As Mr. Masters commented:

"Others who have been rescued will vouch for the fact that we had never thought we would need rescuing, but once the need was there we were very, very grateful when Life Flight turned up and took us to safety."

Check out the Life Flight here.