The Italian Air Force's intervention was carried out by an HH139A helicopter from the 82nd SAR Centre of Trapani.

The air rescue carried out by an HH139-A helicopter from the 82nd SAR (Search and Rescue) Centre of Trapani concluded around 5 PM this evening. The operation enabled the urgent medical transport of a 38-year-old man who suffered a medical emergency while on board an Italian fishing vessel approximately 60 miles off the coast of Trapani.
Having taken off around 3:40 PM from the Sicilian airbase, the HH139-A reached the vessel and, using a winch, a search and rescue swimmer was lowered to recover the patient using the “survivor rescue harness”, a piece of equipment that allows the patient to be secured and brought safely on board.
With boarding procedures completed at 16:20, the helicopter headed towards the Sant'Antonio Abate hospital (TP), near which it landed at 16:45 to leave the patient for the specific care of the hospital healthcare personnel.
The helicopter then returned to Trapani air base, where it landed at 17:00, resuming normal National SAR readiness.
The distress call was activated by the Operations Room of the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) of the Air Operations Command in Poggio Renatico (Ferrara) at the request of the MRSC (Maritime Rescue Sub Centre) of the Coast Guard Command in Palermo. This is the second aerial rescue operation in four days for the 82nd SAR Centre, which was also successfully involved last Saturday night in the recovery of another patient from a container merchant ship.
The 82nd SAR Centre is part of the 15th Wing of Cervia, which guarantees, 24 hours a day, every single day of the year, 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 the mountains, the urgent medical transport of patients in imminent danger of death and the rescue of seriously traumatised individuals, operating even in complex weather conditions.
From its establishment to the present day, the crews of the 15th Wing have saved thousands of people in life-threatening situations. Since 2018, the Department has also acquired AIB (Wildfire Fighting) capability, contributing to the prevention of and fight against fires throughout the national territory as part of the joint task force deployed by the Ministry of Defence.
From the 15th Wing in Cervia, in addition to the 82nd SAR Centre in Trapani, the following are also dependent and deployed throughout the national territory: the 80th SAR Centre in Decimomannu (Cagliari), the 83rd SAR Flight Group, located in Cervia itself, the 84th SAR Centre in Gioia del Colle (Bari), and the 85th SAR Centre in Pratica di Mare.