Woman with sea lion bite infection airlifted

A couple of penguins keep a Department of Conservation staff member company  on Enderby Island...
A couple of penguins keep a Department of Conservation staff member company on Enderby Island yesterday afternoon as a Southern Lakes Helicopters BK117 waits to return to the mainland. Photo: supplied.
A rescue helicopter was deployed  yesterday on an urgent mission to the Auckland Islands, 465km south of Bluff, to evacuate a woman with an infection caused when she was bitten by a sea lion pup.

Southern Lakes Helicopters operations manager Lloyd Matheson said helicopter pilot Sir Richard Hayes, his brother co-pilot Mark Hayes and two St John medics flew from Te Anau, via Invercargill, to the Auckland Islands just after 9am yesterday.

The woman had been assisting with research work on Enderby Island, at the northern end of the islands, swabbing sea lion pups’ mouths, when she cut her finger about nine days ago.

The  BK117 helicopter had the woman at Southland Hospital just before 4.30pm. Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand watch leader John Dickson said that the centre had been monitoring the situation and had been notified the infection had become worse.

"Sea lion bites are known to result in infected wounds.

"A doctor on a nearby cruise liner assessed the wound and recommended she be evacuated to hospital as a precaution, as her condition is not responding to treatment," Mr Matheson said.

The 800km round trip was a "delicate operation" due to the remoteness of the island, Mr Matheson said.

A "window of opportunity" had opened up in the weather, allowing the flight to take place yesterday, after the situation had been monitored for a couple of days, including by the rescue  centre.

"I’m sure the [helicopter] crew are relieved to be back on terra firma.

"For them it’s been a long day sitting in immersion suits, looking at the Southern Ocean," Mr Matheson said.

"It all went pretty smoothly," he said.

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz

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