Two injured sailors on a foreign ship were medevaced by the Royal Canadian Air Force last weekend in a mission that lasted several hours.
Tasked by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) in Halifax, the Air Force received information mid-last week that there had been an injury on a vessel coming across the Atlantic.
Daniel Noonan, aircraft commander at the 103 Squadron in Gander, tells Global News the vessel was at first out of reach.
“There was an injured sailor, so we waited for them to get within range in order to medivac them to and bring them to St. John’s.”
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RCAF got the call Saturday morning that the vessel, travelling from Europe to New York, was in range.
The squadron then deployed to get the injured sailors, Noonan says.
“It was challenging, but we do this training fairly often … Our team was very well prepared for it.”
Noonan says while conditions were harsh, having daylight helped.
“Sea state at the time was about six to eight metres and winds closing down to 40 knots,” he says.
Noonan says there were five crew members on board, including two pilots, a flight engineer who operated the hoist, and two techs who go down to the vessel.
The 184-metre oil tanker was located around 450 km from St. John’s at the time of the mission.
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The injured sailors, who were not Canadian, were in stable condition Noonan says.
“But the injuries were serious enough that it required to medivac them as soon as possible.”
Having rescue missions that far away happens occasionally throughout the year. But this is the second one this year.
“In fact, one similar distance not even a week ago where a helicopter had to go … and get an injured sailor off another vessel,” he says.
On 13 Feb, JRCC tasked @RCAF_ARC #103Sqn CH149 Cormorant helicopter to medevac 2 injured sailors from a tanker. Despite high winds and challenging sea state, both patients were stabilized by SAR Techs, hoisted and flown to hospital in St John’s. #RESCUE! pic.twitter.com/o8rLTbGDL0
— HfxJRCC_CCCOS (@hfxjrcc) February 15, 2021