Air rescue, Sicily: Italian Air Force helicopter rescues man in imminent danger of death from cruise ship

A 55-year-old man, taken ill and in urgent need of medical attention, was rescued by an Italian Air Force HH-139B helicopter on board the ship Europa Palace

The operation by an Italian Air Force HH-139B helicopter has just concluded, at around 17:30, to rescue a 55-year-old man who fell ill while on board the cruise ship Europa Palace, off the coast of Trapani in Sicily.

The request for assistance, received from the 12th MRSC - Maritime Rescue Sub Center - in Palermo, was coordinated by the Rescue Coordination Centre of the Poggio Renatico (FE) Aerospace Operations Command, the Italian Air Force command and control centre from which all operational activities of this kind are managed.

The helicopter, one of the Armed Force's assets always ready to take off across the national territory also for operations of this kind, immediately took off from the Trapani Birgi military airport, home of the 82nd SAR (Search and Rescue) Centre of the 15th Wing, towards the Sant'Antonio Abate Hospital in Trapani to embark the medical team.

Having reached the vessel, an Italian Air Force rescue specialist retrieved the man by lowering himself with the rescue winch, an essential tool in situations where, as in this case, landing is not possible. Once the hoisting was safely completed, the helicopter headed to the Sant’Antonio Abate Hospital in Trapani, where the patient was handed over to the care of the medical staff.

Having completed the rescue, the military crew returned to the Trapani military base, where they resumed search and rescue readiness duties.

The 82nd SAR Centre is one of the units of the 15th Wing of the Italian Air Force which guarantees, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without interruption, the search and rescue of flight crews in difficulty, whilst also contributing to public utility activities such as the search for missing persons at sea or in the mountains, emergency medical transport of patients in imminent danger of life and the rescue of severely traumatised individuals, operating even in severe weather conditions. Since its establishment to date, the crews of the 15th Wing have saved more than 7,500 lives in danger. Since 2018, the Unit has acquired the AIB (Forest Firefighting) capability, contributing to fire prevention and fighting.