Multiple agencies have been in attendance at Newport’s Seaclose Park this morning (Monday) to facilitate an impromptu medi-vac.
An issue with HM Coastguard’s Rescue Helicopter 175 meant that the aircraft was grounded on St Mary’s Hospital helipad shortly after landing at 22:11 yesterday evening, resulting in a routine patient transfer from the Island to a mainland hospital being temporarily unable to go ahead.
HM Coastguard tasked Wales-based Rescue Helicopter 187 to take up the stricken aircraft’s duty and complete the vital journey.
Several police units responded to the large field near the centre of Newport – which has not seen a medical evacuation take place in a number of years – at around 00:10, alongside colleagues from Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team and a paramedic officer from the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service.
Coastguard Officers secured a landing site in an area of Seaclose whilst awaiting the ambulance with the patient in need of transfer onboard.
The patient was then safely but quickly transferred to the awaiting CG187 by paramedics and Coastguards, with the helicopter finally taking off at approximately 00:40.
Following the short flight to a mainland hospital, CG187 returned to Seaclose Park to pick up the air crew from the stricken aircraft.
The helicopter finally left the Island once more at 02:14, returning the stranded air crew to the Lee-on-Solent airfield.
The Island’s more familiar aircraft, CG175, has remained on the helipad at St Mary’s and is expected to be repaired later on today.
Stricken? evokes a forced landing.
Good job it was a routine transfer and not time critical.
Time to build that fixed link and enter the 21st century..
So when a fixed link has to be closed due to a serious/fatal incident that need the road closed for several hours what will your next option be hot air balloon I wonder.
‘Routine’ and ‘vital’ don’t seem to go together