Barry Walton is retiring from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service after more than 44 years of saving lives.

The helicopter service has been providing emergency care to Australians since 1975, and one member of their team has been there since the very beginning.

Barry Walton began as a volunteer crewperson in those early days, before working his way up to become a full-time aircrewman in the 90s.

He’s officially retiring today, after putting his own life on the line countless times for the sake of others.

But he tells Natalie Peters and Edwina Bartholomew that out of all the amazing stories, he takes the most pride in helping to set up the service in regional areas.

“It’s been a remarkable journey. I think the biggest achievement was being able to go to Tamworth and help set the service up there.”

He also tells the fascinating story of how he got involved with the helicopter rescue service in the first place.

Click PLAY below to hear about Barry’s fascinating career