Joseph Keeley died after the helicopter he was flying crashed in the Paekākāriki Hill area on January 28, 2026. In May 1998, the pair were working together in venison recovery - Keeley as the pilot and Lucas as the shooter. In the thick bush, neither the rescue helicopter nor Air Force services could get to them. They dropped a stretcher out and the paramedic stabilised Lucas, before the rescue helicopter from Taupō flew over and got him to Palmerston North Hospital. Thanks to Keeley’s actions, the helicopter with the paramedic got to Lucas within an hour and a half of the crash.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 04, 2026 17:32 UTC