Intervention conducted by an HH-139B helicopter of the 82nd SAR Centre of the 15th Wing in synergy with the Sicilian Alpine and Speleological Rescue service

A joint mission between personnel from the 82nd SAR (Search & Rescue) Centre of the Air Force, based in Trapani, and technicians from the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps of the Sicily region (Sicilian Alpine and Speleological Rescue – SASS) concluded shortly before 5 PM today, for the rescue of a sixty-year-old man who had suffered trauma from a fall on the island of Marettimo (Egadi). 

The incident occurred in the rugged area of Punta Troìa, where the intervention of the Air Force was necessary upon activation by the SASS. The Rescue Coordination Centre of the Aerospace Operations Command (COA) in Poggio Renatico then activated the crew on standby from the 82nd SAR Centre of the 15th Wing, based at Trapani airport. Around 4 PM, the HH-139B took off with a SASS technician and an Air Force rescue swimmer on board, reaching the operational area where the team was deployed to quickly rescue the man, who was unable to walk. 

Once immobilised and stabilised, the injured person was winched aboard the helicopter, and then transported to the Sant’Antonio Abate hospital in Trapani, where they were handed over to the medical staff for the necessary treatment. Within an hour, therefore, the Air Force helicopter and crew were again available for immediate deployment if needed.

The 15th Wing guarantees, 24 hours a day, every single day of the year, the search and rescue of aircrews 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 death, and the rescue of severely traumatised individuals, operating in complex meteorological conditions, both day and night. From its establishment to today, the crews of the 15th Wing have saved thousands of lives. In addition to the 82nd SAR Centre of Trapani, the 15th Wing of Cervia also oversees the 80th SAR Centre of Decimomannu (Cagliari), the 85th SAR Centre of Pratica di Mare, the 84th SAR Centre of Gioia del Colle (Bari), and the 83rd SAR Group, located in Cervia itself, all of which are dispersed throughout the national territory.

The Italian Air Force's flight units are capable of transporting patients, organs, medical teams, and ambulances, even in complex weather conditions. Hundreds of flight hours are carried out each year for these types of operations, not only by the helicopters of the 15th Wing of Cervia but also by the aircraft of the 31st Wing of Ciampino, the 14th Wing of Pratica di Mare, and the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa.