Cam's rescue efforts are nearly sunk at the end of episode 9. How does he resurface?

⚠️ This episode may be distressing for some listeners. Loss of life and some harrowing escapes are covered in this episode.

We left Cam Taylor in deep water at the end of episode 9. Join him with Tara Taylor and Geoff Keighley for this final episode of S1 of UNDER THE WEATHER. Geoff and Cam are relentless in their efforts, rescuing nearly 200 people. Don't miss Part 2 of this incredible story as more rescues unfold and response becomes recovery.

With pilot Geoff Keighley, Cam is about to embark on one of the most challenging rescues of the day – but must haul himself out of trouble first. The day and the phenomenal rescues roll on and on until it gets dark.

Because of the failed comms, Tara has no way of knowing where or how Cam is. Around mid-afternoon, she receives a video from Geoff Keighley, and it takes her a few heart-stopping moments to understand what she’s seeing.

The end of the day brings them back together, and their recollections of this result in a highly entertaining recap of events. There are a few wardrobe malfunctions and a lot of laughter.

Geoff and Cam also have some incredible reunions with the people they’d rescued. Some of these were many months later at the Puketapu Pub. Known to locals as ‘The Puketap’, it was also flooded. Despite that, it played an integral role in community recovery.

When Cam and Geoff, along with many of those they'd rescued, attend its re-opening, there are some emotionally charged reunions. As the stories and drinks flow, Cam and Geoff begin to get a true perspective of how many lives they saved - more than they'd realised.

Geoff flies under the radar and gets the better of civil defence once more. Geoff Keighley - Two. Civil Defence - Zero! Cam andTara reflect on the enormous impact on Taylor Corp and the horticultural sector in general.

They also reflect on the personal costs as they continue to plough through a lengthy recovery process. Tara shares some powerful reflections on life and the shifting landscape of friendships in the wake of disaster.

Notes:

Hayden is their usual pilot and was rescuing people by jet boat when Tara reached him on the morning of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Cam and Geoff aren’t 100% sure of the exact number of people they rescued. The numbers referred to in this episode of UNDER THE WEATHER are:

150 – this is the initial rescues of RSE workers from riverside accommodation blocks.

200 – their estimate of the total number of rescues (some months later) once they'd had time to process the events.

If you enjoyed listening to TAKING FLIGHT PART TWO, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.

UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-stories

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcast

Chapters

00:00 Cam is in deep water

00:45 A difficult rescue

03:50 Noah’s Ark

06:15 Back on Sudley Farm

08:10 The Puketapu Pub

09:20 Kiwi hospitality

10:20 Tara

12:00 ‘That ain’t happening buddy’

13:50 A long day on their roof.

14:40 Cam is in a state.

19:15 Geoff’s out to lunch

20:30 Day 2 in Dartmoor

22:40 The beer fridge

23:45 No comms

26:00 Flying under the radar

28:40 Grounded

30:20 A bloody mess

32:00 Bumper to bumper

33:00 Fruitless

34:40 Limbo

36:00 Life or death

38:00 Old dogs, new tricks

38:40 A near miss for Napier

39:10 Trapped

40:10 Exit strategy

41:00 New connections and final reflections

45:10 Conclusion

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All Transcripts for Under the Weather are AI-generated.

A narrow escape. A chance meeting. Water rises around the chopper as Cam and Geoff take flight.

⚠️ Some content may be distressing. Listener discretion is advised.

The Taylor family home is perched 12 meters above the Tutaekuri River. But by 5.30am on February 14th 2023, the river is on their doorstep and rising. There's no time for anything but escape. They're lucky to get out with their lives and their dogs. Once they're safe, Cam's thoughts turn to his RSE workers. They also live on the river. He has a chopper, but can't reach his usual pilot. In a stroke of incredible luck, another is on the scene.

For Cam and Tara Taylor, Valentine's Day 2023 started with a rude awakening and a narrow escape. Staying home isn't an option, but leaving is also a huge risk. They plough through deep water, which is coursing over the local roads like rapids. They can only watch as other vehicles are swept away. When they reach the safety of their family business, Cam has one thought. Rescuing his orchard workers from the riverbanks.

By air is the only way, and the skids of the chopper are almost submerged as they take flight. Tara remains on the ground and has to outrun the water for a second time that day. This is just the beginning of their day, and of an incredible story about to unfold.

Cam and pilot Geoff Keighley are airborne. The extent of flooding across the region is severe and widespread. Like nothing they could have ever imagined. They rescue Cam's RSE workers, along with others, from nearby orchards. Maybe a hundred in total. They quickly lose count. The pace is relentless, and they take the door off the chopper to allow rapid loading and unloading. They later describe these rescues as the 'easy' ones.

Once the RSE teams are safe, they begin to find people on their roofs. And later, in their roofs. Throughout the day, they continue to discover precarious situations where lives hang in the balance. Cam himself is in a difficult spot as part one of Taking Flight concludes. This incredible story of escape, survival and daring rescues is TBC in Taking Flight Part Two.

If you enjoyed listening to TAKING FLIGHT PART ONE, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.

UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-stories

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcast

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:10 Geoff

05:30 Cam & Tara

06:50 Taylor Corp

07:45 Before the cyclone

09:30 Escape

15:00 SOS Geoff

18:00 Right place, right time

19:20 Pre-flight

24:20 Airborne

25:00 Another narrow escape

30:20 The 'easy' rescues

33:40 Shit gets real

40:15 Traps for young players

43:40 Cam hits the roof

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All transcripts for Under the Weather are AI-generated.

After a deluge of impossible choices, Al is all out of options.

⚠️ This episode covers some distressing themes, including suicide and the loss of Al's dogs. Listener discretion is advised.

After a stormy night, all seems well as day dawns on February 14th 2023. They've dodged a bullet, but the gun is loaded. Before long, Pakowhai is under siege as the rivers close in on the small, rural community. There's no high ground and nowhere to go. Surrounded by rising water, Al's focus is on who needs help - people and animals alike. Not all can be saved. When he takes refuge on a shipping container, Al doesn't think he will be either. Rescue comes, but the reprieve of survival is short. The long battle that follows is raw and unforgiving as he stares down the barrel of grief and loss. Join Al on this journey from heartache to healing.

Originally from Shropshire in the UK, Al had immigrated nearly 30 years previously with his Kiwi partner, Ali. A dairy farmer already, he was a perfect fit for his new life in rural New Zealand. As their boys grew, so did the farms, and Al decided it was time for a change.

A love of dogs and a natural affinity with our canine companions steered Al in new directions. Nearly 20 years and thousands of wagging tails later, he is widely known as 'The Dogman'.

But in early 2023, a catastrophic event tore through their lives. A home, a business, a way of life, were suddenly gone. In their place, trauma, grief and uncertainty. There were no new directions. No blueprint or map. Just a silt-covered road to nowhere.

Al’s first steps along this road were heavy. Despair set like concrete, and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Overwhelmed and unmoored, he needed an anchor to hold him steady—an anchor to halt the drift into desperation and darkness.

This is a story of Al finding his anchors. In some cases, the anchors find him. As he turns the ship around, his journey is transformed into one of resilience and redemption.

If you enjoyed listening to FROM HEARTACHE TO HEALING, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.

UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-stories

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcast

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:40 Meet Al

04:50 The good life

06:00 Everything changes

08:30 Refuge

10:10 Oblivious

11:00 A few deep breaths

12:50 Shine the torch on your feet

14:15 A dark place

16:50 The community rallies

20:10 Pounamu

22:30 No respite

24:40 Gratitude

28:00 What NOT to say...

30:30 Looters

31:30 Divide & Conquer - Insurance

34:30 Divide & Conquer - Councils

37:40 A kick in the guts

40:20 Legacies

42:15 A tribute

43:30 An unexpected new chapter

44:30 Rock bottom

45:25 The light at the end of the tunnel

47:20 Arthur

49:10 A better person

51:20 Dinner club

52:30 Sound advice

55:45 Time to regroup

57:15 Conclusion

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Transcripts for Under the Weather are AI-generated.