While most people were farewelling 2025, there was little time to celebrate for Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS) personnel on New Year’s Eve.
NSW Ambulance tasked the chopper to a buggy accident at Carrabolla, near Dungog, about 1pm on Wednesday 31 December.
There, a teenager received treatment from paramedics and an NSW Health doctor from the WRHS’s critical care medical team for back and neck injuries.
The patient was then transported to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.
Later, at 9.50pm, NSW Ambulance requested the service’s presence again.
This time the crew attended an accident in Stockton.
It’s understood a male in his 40s was treated at the scene for severe facial burns from fireworks.
The WRHS conveyed the man to Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney in a serious condition.
Meanwhile, local police generally praised revellers for their behaviour throughout the evening.
Big crowds were on hand to witness firework displays in Newcastle, Maitland and Lake Macquarie.
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