The man was winched aboard the HH139B helicopter of the 80th SAR Centre and then transported to the Brotzu hospital in Cagliari

This afternoon, an HH-139B helicopter from the 80th SAR (Search and Rescue) Centre of the Italian Air Force, based at the Decimomannu military airport (Cagliari), was deployed to rescue and airlift a 74-year-old man in urgent need of hospital transfer after falling ill aboard the cruise ship ’Marella Voyager“, sailing about 50 miles off the coast of Cagliari.

At the request of the 13th MRSC (Maritime Rescue Sub Centre) of Cagliari, the Rescue Coordination Centre of the Aerospace Operations Command in Poggio Renatico (Ferrara) ordered the takeoff of the 80th SAR Centre helicopter, one of the rotary-wing assets of the 15th Wing on standby for national Search and Rescue activities and suited to the type of emergency.

The crew – a specialised team consisting of pilots, a flight operator and an air rescuer – took off from the Decimomannu military base and reached the cruise ship. After lowering the air rescuer and the stretcher onto the deck, the patient was hoisted into the helicopter by the flight operator, before being transferred as quickly as possible to the Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari for the necessary treatment.

The 15th Wing of the Air Force guarantees, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without interruption, the search and rescue of flight crews in distress, also contributing to public utility activities such as the search for missing persons at sea or in mountains, the emergency medical transport of patients in imminent danger of life, and the rescue of severely traumatised individuals, operating even in extreme weather conditions.

From its establishment to the present day, the crews of the 15th Wing have saved more than 7,500 lives in peril. Since 2018, the Department has acquired AIB (Wildfire Fighting) capability, contributing to the prevention and fighting of fires throughout the national territory within the framework of the joint task force deployed by the Defence.