Lakes District Air Rescue Trust

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Southland

The Lakes District Air Rescue Trust (LDART) commenced formal operations in 1991. It now provide 24/7 emergency and rescue aerial services over a large area encompassing much of the southern region of New Zealand until 1 November 2018.. It now provides support for essential services In emergency medical helicopter responses and mission and supports the training of skills and experience for some very dedicated local personnel to achieve the objectives of rapid response, assistance and retrieval.

From bases at Queenstown and Te Anau the helicopter operators H.EM.S, Heliworks and Southern Lakes Helicopters provide an experienced and integrated service dispatched through the South Island St John Communication Centre, National Airdesk, NZ Police or the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCCNZ) based out of Wellington.

Unfortunately, these services are not fully funded by the agencies which employ the regions operators and thus the provision of service is heavily dependent on continuing sponsorship and additional support from many successful companies, organisations, Trusts and individuals so as to achieve its operational goals of providing fast efficient assistance in times of distress. Essential equipment and ongoing training and compliance issues absorb considerable resource annually – and this is apart from the operation of the actual helicopters and specialist mission crewing.

More about us

Lakes District Air Rescue Trust exists to support the provision of Helicopter Medical and Search and Rescue operations in the lower South and Lower Western South Island of New Zealand.

It has been the Operator of these services for over 25 years and has now become a fund raiser to ensure these services continue for the locals and visitors to the lower South Island, especially the Southern Lakes and Southland areas of the South Island.

Any funds we raise benefit the operators of the Search and Rescue services and Medical rescue services through providing funding for new or replacement equipment, maintenance of this equipment and for the training of volunteers who serve on these essential helicopter services.