A helicopter transported a man suffering a heart attack from Ventotene to Latina. The helicopter, despatched by the Poggio Renatico (FE) Air Operations Command following a request from the Prefecture, first picked up two Italian Red Cross doctors at Latina military airport before heading to the island. Subsequently, after landing on the island, the patient was boarded onto the helicopter within minutes and took off again for the Latina military airport. An ambulance was waiting for the helicopter at the airport in Latina and, once the patient was secured on board, transferred him to the nearby hospital. Adverse weather conditions along the route, poor visibility, strong winds, and high turbulence made the air rescue mission particularly challenging. The SAR (Search and Rescue) function is institutionally assigned to the 15th Wing of Cervia (Ravenna), which comprises the 81st Crew Training Centre (CAE) and the 83rd Combat SAR Group of Cervia, the 82nd CSAR Centre of Trapani, the 84th SAR Centre of Gioia del Colle (Bari), the 85th SAR Centre of Pratica di Mare (Rome), and the 80th CSAR Centre of Decimomannu (Cagliari). The 15th Wing's SAR Groups/Centres are undergoing a transition process which will see the entire Wing operationally switch from the HH-3F to the modern HH-139A by 2013. In situations of urgent need, the 21st Group of the 9th Wing of Grazzanise (Caserta) and the Perdasdefogu (Ogliastra) Liaison Flight, which operate AB.212 helicopters, also contribute to the SAR service.
