Coastguard Rescue helicopters from Lee-on-Solent and Lydd responded to 2 separate life-threatening emergencies during the early hours of this morning (Wednesday).
The first call came in at around 23:00 last night when the cruise ship Ventura reported that a passenger onboard the vessel had been taken unwell to the South of the Isle of Wight.
Coastguard Rescue 175 from Lee-on-Solent was duly tasked to medivac the patient directly to hospital, reaching the ship’s position in the English Channel by 23:30.
It took around 25 minutes for a paramedic to be lowered down onto Ventura’s deck, to assess and package the patient and then winch them into the helicopter. They were flown to Solent Airport for onward conveyance to hospital.
Ventura, on route to Portugal, had only departed Southampton at 20:30.
At the same time, the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service requested the assistance of HM Coastguard in airlifting a patient from St Mary’s Hospital to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth.
With Rescue 175 already on its tasking, the decision was taken to scramble Rescue 163 from Lydd in Kent more than 100 miles away.
The helicopter touched down at Seaclose Park in Newport at just gone 00:22, where an ambulance was ready and waiting to transfer the seriously unwell patient.
Coastguard Rescue Officers were tasked to the helicopter landing site – being used as the helipad is no longer suitable for Coastguard helicopters – to ensure a safe landing and take off.
Rescue 173 lifted off at just gone 00:40 and landed at Port Solent by 00:50.
Having successfully completed the mission, Rescue 163 touched back down at Lydd by 01:40.
What a fantastic job these emergency helicopters and staff who man/ woman them do .
where would we be without them !
I wish I could push every penny I pay in tax to the wasteful, thoughtless, totally incompetent government, to these emergency services