Our
Team.

Meet our team of highly-skilled and experienced medical and flight personnel. At any time — day or night – a team of pilot, critical care flight paramedic and air crew officer work together to rescue, treat and transport people, often at the worst time of their lives.
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Paramedics

Our critical care flight paramedics have the highest possible training in pre-hospital emergency care for the best possible outcome.

Name

Richard Curtis

Role
Critical Care Flight Paramedic | Base Manager

Richard Curtis has been involved with service to the public In New Zealand and Australia across a range of industries. A senior lifeguard in his younger days Richard has worked as a St John ambulance officer, a rescue watercraft and helicopter operations lifeguard, a tutor, and rescue paramedic.

Name

Lachlan Clark

Role
Critical Care Flight Paramedic

Lachlan joined the team in 2020 having worked previously as an intensive care paramedic for St John Ambulance in Auckland. Lachlan has a Bachelor in Health Science (paramedicine) and is finishing his post-graduate diploma in critical care paramedicine.

Name

Thomas Grantham

Role
Critical Care Flight Paramedic

English import Thomas Grantham joined the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter service in mid-2023 after a near 25-year career in both land- and air-based paramedicine that involved work from medevacs for the Australian oil and gas industry, to helping start a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in Saudi Arabia, where road accidents are a massive contributor to medical trauma.

Name

Gareth McDougall

Role
Critical Care Flight Paramedic

One of three crew to have been born and raised in Gisborne, Gareth got his taste for adrenalin while immersed in the adventure tourism industry around the world, and was working in white water rafting in Queenstown when he discovered his passion for paramedicine. Returning home to take up the role of critical care flight paramedic with the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter service is a welcome return home for Gareth.

Pilots

Our pilots’ wealth of national and international experience ensures there’s always a safe pair of hands on the controls.

Name

Mike Fitzgerald

Role
Pilot

Mike Fitzgerald is a veteren of the air having flown in New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea. The father of two has worked inthe agricultural, oil and gas, mining, and tourism industries. Mike is a mainlander by birth but has lived in Gisborne since 2009.

Name

Tony Brice

Role
Pilot

Helicopter pilot Tony Brice joined the team in 2021 after a 35-year career as a commercial helicopter pilot working in Asia, the Middle East, and all over New Zealand. He loves living back in his hometown of Gisborne. When he’s not working enjoys hunting and fishing, and spending time with friends and family.

Name

James Easterbrook

Role
Pilot

Pilot James Easterbook started his helicopter flying career in 2003 in the United States where he flew various jobs, including flying around the Grand Canyon before shifting to offshore flying in Alaska. James is a father of three who enjoys fishing, hunting, and surfing.

Name

Shaun Stewart

Role
Pilot

Originally from Dannevirke, Shaun Stewart’s interest in helicopters came from seeing rescue teams land at a bridge – a notorious accident spot – near his rural home. By the age of 18 he had achieved his CPL (Commercial Pilots Licence) then spent 14 years in both charter and agricultural flying. Having racked up the thousands of hours needed for medical aviation, Shaun in January 2024 joined the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team. “The team members are all here for one purpose, to help people,” he says. “Getting to be part of that is pretty cool.”

Air Crew Officer

Dab hands on the winch and Night Vision Goggles, our air crew officers make sure the helicopter goes where it needs to, when it needs to, and safely.

Name

Jean-Pierre Jordaan

Role
Air Crew Officer

Air crew officer Jean-Pierre “JP” Jordaan has worked in the aviation industry since 2009 and after seven years working in marine pilot services in South Africa, is a highly-skilled winch operator. Having a private pilot’s license for fixed-wing aircraft of his own, JP has also worked in Sudan with flight operations for a flying school. When he’s off the clock he enjoys exploring New Zealand, as well as hunting, fishing and spearfishing.

Name

Max Neustroski

Role
Air Crew Officer | Paramedic

Born and raised in Gisborne, ACO-P Max Neustroski returned home in 2023 to take up the role of air crew officer with the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter. A keen sportsman and surf lifesaver, Max spent eight years as a Defence Force Medic with the Royal New Zealand Navy when, as well as completing his Bachelor of Health Sciences (Paramedicine), he undertook two tours of duty to Antarctica.

Name

Caz Cundall-Curry

Role
Air Crew Officer

From the English surfing county of Cornwall, ACO-M Caz Cundall-Curry worked in jobs from being a gym instructor and a lifeguard to teaching outdoor skills like rock-climbing, sailing and kayaking, before training in paramedicine. After spending six years in New Zealand — the last five in Gisborne – she in 2023 combined her love of being active with her desire to help people by joining the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team and retrained again, this time as an air crew officer.

Name

Leah Kortez

Role
Air Crew Officer

Originally from Hamilton, Leah Koretz (ACO-M) is the Trust Tairāwhiti  Eastland Rescue Helicopter’s youngest air crew officer who, having spent two years with Hato Hone St Johns in Ruatoria, came with some useful experience under her belt. But while passionate about her work as an Emergency Medical Technician, Leah had always dreamed of working with helicopters and joined the team in September 2023.

Trustees

Behind the Trust Tairāwhiti Rescue Helicopter sits 8 dedicated trustees passionate about the lifesaving difference the service makes. They work endlessly to support the service and help raise money for its ongoing provision.

Ian Parker

Interim Chair/Treasurer

A trustee and treasurer since 2011, Ian was in September 2024 nominated as interim chair while changes to the EHRT trust deed are finalised. A chartered accountant and business advisor, Ian has held associate and lead positions with BDO’s not-for-profit sector. He’s also experienced with governance having held positions with other local charities and the Funeral Service Training Trust.

Peter Williamson

Secretary

Peter is our secretary and despite being retired continues to work for the community as a volunteer.  He is involved with the Whinray Ecological Community Trust and adjoining Queen Elizabeth II Conservation Covenants at Motu. 

Patrick Willock

Trustee

Having acted as chairman since 2001, in September 2024 Patrick retired from that role but remained as trustee to lead important projects in play. Born and raised in Gisborne, Patrick is a retired sheep and cattle farmer who served on Gisborne District Council (1989-2001), is a past provincial president of Federated Farmers,  and is also a Justice of the Peace.

Jaki Boyle

Trustee

Having lived rurally Jaki Boyle understands the need for fast efficient access to help in case of illness and injury. Jaki has worked as a paramedic for St John and crewed the rescue helicopter in Gisborne when it was first set up as a dedicated rescue service. Jaki has post graduate qualifications in aeromedical transfer and retrieval, and acute care, and a Master of Nursing. She is Gisborne Hospital’s Emergency Department clinical nurse manager working closely with St John’s and helicopter staff.

Murray Ferris

Trustee

Murray was appointed to the trust in 2012. He has over 40 years in the printing industry including 20 years in management and sales. Now retired Murray is a passionate hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. He’s involved in many community organisations. He’s deputy chair of Fish and Game Eastern Region, an honorary fish and game ranger, a volunteer bus driver, and a funeral celebrant. Murray is a Justice of the Peace and a Tourism Eastland life member.

Julian Kohn

Trustee

Julian Kohn joined the Trust to give back to the community. He has business ties to Kohntrol Forest Services and business and governance ties to other forestry-related businesses, property development companies, and Eastland Network. His wish is to see the Trust well-funded so its financial stability does not become an issue or a distraction. 

Jane Williams

Trustee

Jane Williams, a trustee since 2008, brings a wealth of knowledge as a nurse with extensive experience across a number of fields. She and her husband farm in Ruatoria giving Jane an appreciation of issues facing those who live in remote locations. Jane has been on numerous school boards and these days is a member of Hauora Tairāwhiti’s Hospital Advisory Committee. Jane is Chair of Hospice Tairāwhiti, Hospice New Zealand, and The National Arboretum of New Zealand, Eastwoodhill.