An HH-139B helicopter from the 82nd SAR (Search And Rescue) Centre of the 15th Wing of the Italian Air Force, based in Trapani, took off this afternoon for an urgent rescue mission.

The crew, on high alert, received the mission order from the Operations Room of the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) of the Aerospace Operations Command in Poggio Renatico (Ferrara), under the command of the Air Squad of Milan. They immediately set off for the island to recover the injured person.
The man, a 63-year-old tourist from Padua, had suffered a significant lower limb injury after slipping on a difficult path near Monte Falcone. Unable to continue, his wife alerted the emergency services (via the single emergency number 112). Given the difficult terrain, the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps of Sicily (CNSAS) was alerted, which requested the support of the Air Force, with which there is a consolidated cooperative relationship at a national level.
Having arrived on the island of Marettimo, an Italian Air Force air rescue rescuer and a mountain rescue technician reached the injured man, immobilising his leg. The man was then embarked aboard the helicopter by means of a winch, along with his wife, and transported to the Sant’Antonio Abate hospital in Trapani.
The operation concluded at 18:00 local time with the return to the military airport of Trapani, where the helicopter resumed operational readiness service.
The 15th Wing guarantees the search and rescue of flight crews in distress 24 hours a day, every single day of the year, also contributing to public utility activities. These include 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 in complex meteorological conditions, both day and night.
From its inception to the present day, the crews of the 15th Wing have saved thousands of lives. During the summer period, they also carry out Forest Fire Fighting (AIB) activities as part of the assets provided by the Defence.
In addition to the 82nd SAR Centre in Trapani, the following are under the command of the 15th Wing in Cervia, and are located throughout the national territory: the 80th SAR Centre in Decimomannu (Cagliari), the 85th SAR Centre in Pratica di Mare (Rome), the 84th SAR Centre in Gioia del Colle (Bari), and the 83rd SAR Group, located in Cervia itself (Ravenna).
Military Air Force flight departments are capable of ensuring the transport of patients, organs, medical teams, and ambulances, even in complex weather conditions. Hundreds of flight hours are carried out annually for these operations by helicopters from the 15th Wing of Cervia, aircraft from the 31st Wing of Ciampino, the 14th Wing of Pratica di Mare, and the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa.