The mission was conducted by the 82nd SAR Center (Search And Rescue) in Trapani in synergy with the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps.

An HH-139B helicopter of the 82nd SAR Center (Search and Rescue) of Trapani of the 15th Air Force of the Italian Air Force intervened, in the afternoon, in the territory of the municipality of Isnello (PA) for the recovery of a Swedish national hiker who was injured along the path that leads from Isnello to Pizzo Croce.

The man, who was on an excursion with his wife, suffered a lower limb injury following a fall that prevented him from continuing on his own. The alarm was raised via the Emergency Number 112 and subsequently managed by the Emergency Medical Service 118, which, as it was a medical intervention in a remote environment, activated the Sicilian Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service (SASS). The Alpine Rescue Service then requested the support of the Air Force, in accordance with the established protocol of collaboration between the administrations.

The crew of the HH-139B reached the intervention area with two helipads technicians from the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps and an Air Rescue helicopter from the Italian Air Force. Due to the presence of low clouds that limited visibility near the point of the accident, the personnel was lowered to the winch in a lower area than the hiker’s position.

The man was subsequently reached on foot by the ground team of the Alpino Rescue Service, by the CNSAS technicians and by the AM air ambulance. After the initial treatment, stabilization and immobilization of the injured limb, the injured person was transported by land to an area suitable for recovery using a winch. After the operation was completed, the hiker was boarded onto the helicopter and transferred to the Palermo Civil Hospital for further treatment.

The Carabinieri and the Fire Brigade also participated in the operation, for their expertise in their respective fields and for supporting the rescue operations.

The Air Force, through the SAR centers of the 15th Air Wing deployed throughout the national territory, ensures 24/7 search and rescue service for the public, contributing daily to the safeguarding of human life, in synergy with the other State Administrations. The flight departments of the Air Force are able to provide the transport of patients, organs, medical teams and ambulances, even in complex meteorological conditions. There are hundreds of hours of flight performed every year for this type of intervention, not only by the helicopters of the 15th Air Wing from Cervia, but also by the aircraft of the 31st Air Wing from Ciampino, the 14th Air Wing from Pratica di Mare and the 46th Air Brigade from Pisa.