St John Wakatipu 4WD ambulance blessed

St John area chaplain the Rev Reg Weeks, of Wanaka (left), with St John Wakatipu area committee chairman Marty Black, of Queenstown, and St John senior order member Ian Rae, of Lake Hawea, blesses the new $240,000 4WD first-response ambulance, its officers and its patients in a ceremony held inside the ambulance station in Frankton yesterday.

Mr Black said the 4WD ambulance was a major asset for the service, which answered nine medical emergencies on the two Wakatipu ski areas on Thursday and yesterday.

St John staff looked forward to blessing the new dedicated ambulance for Glenorchy, following the grant of $45,000 from Central Lakes Trust, he said.