An helicopter from the 82nd S.A.R. (Search and Rescue) Centre of the 15th Wing carried out the transfer of a woman from Lipari to Messina
On the afternoon of Monday 27th March, an HH-139B helicopter of the’82° Centre Search and Rescue (SAR) of Trapani of the 15th Wing of the’Italian Air Force took off an urgent medical transport.The helicopter intervention was necessary to transport a 59-year-old woman who had suffered a heart attack, from the island of Lipari to Messina.
The helicopter first headed towards the Papardo Hospital in Messina, where it embarked a doctor and a paramedic from the 118 emergency service and the necessary medical equipment. It then made its way to Lipari, where it embarked the patient, who was handed over to the medical staff who monitored her condition during the transfer flight to the Policlinico in Messina.
Once the woman had been safely landed in Messina, the helicopter proceeded to Sigonella airbase to refuel, which was necessary for the return flight to Trapani, where it resumed search and rescue readiness duties.
Through its Flying Departments, the Italian Air Force provides resources and crews ready to take off at any moment to ensure the urgent transport not only of people in imminent danger of death, as happened today, but also of organs and medical teams for transplants.’82° Central S.A.R. is one of the Departments of the 15th Wing of the Air Force which guarantees, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, seamlessly, the search and rescue of flight crews in difficulty, also contributing to public utility activities such as the search for missing persons at sea or in mountains, the urgent medical transport of patients in danger of life and the rescue of severely traumatised individuals, also operating in adverse weather conditions.
