Thick fog shrouding the helipad at St Mary’s Hospital has hampered a potentially life-saving mission for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance this afternoon (New Year’s Eve).
It was around 14:30 that the specialist flying medics from HIOWAA were requested to airlift a patient directly from St Mary’s Hospital here on the Isle of Wight to the mainland.
However, as the pilot approached the Solent from the air ambulance’s base in Andover, thick fog was evident – preventing a safe landing on the helipad.
Instead, the distinctive yellow air ambulance has touched down in a field at Bowcombe, between Carisbrooke and Shorwell, where the fog has cleared and the sun is shining brightly.
The aircraft landed at around 14:55.
The flying doctors and enhanced paramedics have been rushed to the hospital by car, as the options for the airlift are considered.
UPDATE @ 16:28 – The helicopter has now lifted from the ground at Bowcombe, en route to Southampton General Hospital – landing at Southampton Airport.
A bridge or tunnel wouldn’t be affected by fog.
Sure providing a complete service like every other county hospital would Negate most of the need of an air ambulance, save time and lives.
St Mary’s offer a very limited service which can cost lives.
What’s a tunnel or bridge to do with air ambulances? So you are saying there’s never an accident on tunnels or bridges like the channel tunnel, or are you saying other counties never use the air ambulance because their not an island. Best to forget the fairy tales of permanent connections to the mainland, it’ll never happen. Now the Scottish government are pumping money into their islands but with our lot forget it, we don’t count.