History
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).
The Service began with a Bell 47 G Helicopter, a pilot and volunteer surf lifesavers who would be dropped or winched into the sea by a rope to rescue swimmers. 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 21, 000 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 water, rock and cliff rescues, locate distress beacons signals, carry out shark 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. Westpac 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 the world. It remains a free community service with the sole mission to save lives.
