The man was recovered aboard the helicopter using a winch and then transported to the Sant'Antonio hospital in Trapani.

This afternoon, an HH-139B helicopter from the 82nd SAR (Search and Rescue) Centre of the Italian Air Force, based at Trapani military airport, was scrambled to recover and rescue a 24-year-old Greek national from a Liberian-flagged oil tanker, some forty miles north of the Trapani coast. The seaman required urgent transfer to hospital. 

At the request of the 12th MRSC (Maritime Rescue Sub Centre) in Palermo, the Aerospace Operations Command in Poggio Renatico (Ferrara) ordered the take-off of the Trapani helicopter, one of the rotary-wing assets on standby for national Search and Rescue activities and suitable for this type of emergency.

The crew – a specialised team comprising pilots, a flight engineer and a winchman – took off from the Sicilian military base and, after embarking a doctor at the Sant’Antonio Hospital in Trapani, reached the tanker ship Samsara. Thanks to a winchman who was winched down, they recovered the young man and then transferred him to the same city hospital as quickly as possible for the necessary treatment. 

The 15th Wing of the Italian Air Force ensures, 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 urgent medical transport of patients in imminent danger of death and the rescue of seriously injured individuals, operating even in extreme weather conditions. 

From its establishment to the present day, the crews of the 15th Wing have saved over 7,500 people from life-threatening situations. Since 2018, the Department has acquired AIB (Wildfire Fighting) capabilities, contributing to the prevention and fight against fires across the national territory as part of the joint task force deployed by the Defence.