Air Rescue: An Air Force helicopter recovers a seriously injured person who fell from a cliff in Favignana

Joint intervention by an HH-139B of the 82nd SAR (Search & Rescue) Center of Trapani and personnel from CNSAS Sicily

 Yesterday afternoon, a rescue operation was carried out by a HH-139B helicopter of the 82nd SAR (Search and Rescue) Center of the Italian Air Force based at the Trapani base. The helicopter intervened to recover and assist a 44-year-old man with serious injuries.

The man had suffered serious injuries after falling from the rocks near Cala Rossa, on the island of Favignana.

The Air Operations Command of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara), at the request of CNSAS Sicily, immediately ordered the deployment of one of the aircraft at that moment and adapted it to the type of emergency, namely an air rescue helicopter.

Upon reaching Cala Rossa, an air ambulance and the two CNSAS technicians recovered the injured man after securing him to a stretcher. The 44-year-old was then transported to the hospital in Sant’Antonio Abate in Trapani.

The operation ended at 16:40 with the return to the military airport of Trapani, where the helicopter resumed its operational readiness service.

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.