The Carr Family Foundation is proud to support the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust.
Since 1989, the Trust has been supporting the life-saving Canterbury and West Coast Westpac Rescue Helicopter service. This 24/7 emergency service, operated by GCH Aviation, covers the largest geographical area of any rescue helicopter service in New Zealand, watching over the lives of more than 730,000 people.
In rural communities and hard-to-reach areas, the rescue helicopters can be the difference between life and death.
In 2025, the Canterbury and West Coast rescue helicopters were called out on 1,081 missions, attending everything from motor vehicle, industrial and farm accidents, to medical events, maternity and inter-hospital patient transfers.
With the rescue helicopter service only partly government-funded, the Trust relies on the generosity of individuals, businesses, and organisations, like the Carr Family Foundation, to help it raise over $6m each year to ensure the rescue helicopter crews can be there for each and every patient at their time of greatest need.
Mission Report: 2025
Total missions: 1,081
Canterbury missions: 691
West Coast missions: 390
Mission type: Accidents 42%; Medical 28%, Hospital Transfer 18%, Search & Rescue 6%, Other 6%