Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopters

From the Central Coast to the Victorian border (and beyond) we are the only dedicated emergency search and rescue helicopter in NSW. The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service was established by Surf Life Saving Australia in 1973 on an initial sponsorship of $25 000 from the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac). Over the first summer season 1973/4, 78 missions were flown, many of which were extremely dangerous situations. Since this time, the Service has carried out more than 23,500 missions ranging from urgent patient transfers to dangerous search and rescue missions. The Service today has evolved into a world-class sophisticated rescue and surveillance operation. The helicopter, with trained pilots and crewmen, is fitted with state of the art search and rescue equipment that enables it to perform ocean, rock, cliff, bush and mountain rescues, locate distress beacons signals, carry out coastal patrols and assist in flood and fire emergencies. Since the initial beginnings there has been no cost or obligation to any member of the public who has been rescued or transported by the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter. The Westpac Banking Corporation has remained the naming rights sponsor of the Service since its inception in 1973. The Service is the oldest community based helicopter rescue service in Australia. It remains a free community service with the sole mission to save lives.