Bid To Rescue Badly Hurt Seaman

[Rockville]

A major international rescue effort is underway to airlift a badly injured seaman from a ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
The operation is being handled by RAF Kinloss and involves two US Army long-range helicopters, a Hercules aircraft and an aircraft tanker from the US airbase at Lakenheath in Suffolk.
An RAF Nimrod is providing air cover and communications.
The sailor was seriously injured in a 40ft fall on board the Anna Rickmers, 500 miles off the west coast of Ireland.
The Burmese man has suffered spinal and cranial injuries, and was urgently in need of expert medical care, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
It added that a doctor from Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth was put in touch with the ship's crew and gave advice on how to stabilise the injured man.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident on the 28,000-tonne cargo ship last
night.
But rescue efforts are hampered by the vessel's distance from the coast.
The spokesman for the emergency services said: "We had an issue with how we pick somebody up from 600 miles off the coast.
"It is out of the scope of most rescue helicopters."

Sky News, 8:26pm UK, Wednesday December 10, 2008

Breaking News

[aviodromefriend]

an aircraft tanker from the US airbase at Lakenheath in Suffolk.

Do they have tankers at Lakenheath (or should we read Mildenhall)?

But rescue efforts are hampered by the vessel's distance from the coast.
The spokesman for the emergency services said: "We had an issue with how we pick somebody up from 600 miles off the coast.
"It is out of the scope of most rescue helicopters."

AAR

[Rockville]

Do they have tankers at Lakenheath (or should we read Mildenhall)?

Don't shoot me. Even the BBC has the same report about the tanker a/c.

[Thijs]

a mc130 and kc135 of mildenhall and 2 lakenheath hh60 are involved.the 130 is used to refeul the 60's and the 135 for the 130.great operation at such a short notice.

[Rockville]

great operation at such a short notice.

I agree with your observation and I hope that everything works out well, for both the injured sailor and all involved crews/aircraft.

[Thijs]

Things did not go as planned....

After 12 hours after the MC-130 departed from Mildenhall they had an engine 2 failure. At that time they were on their way back to the Hall. Because of the engine failure they cannot make any left turns. So they had to land without any left corrections.

Credits MSF / Rich

Two Nimrods were involved calling Rescue 50/51

The two HH-60's landed afterwards at Shannon, calling Rescue 109/212 (last three of the serial?)

The MC130 did make a fuel stop? at Shannon calling Rescue 5828 (last four of serial?)

Credit Trevor Mulkennis

Press release by HMS Coastguard

http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga07-hom ... =12&y=2008" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Guinness]

Both HH-60's are still at Shannon !!


The crew probarbly want to stay in Ireland for....
and to be honest.. who wouldn't

Guinness
Credit:
Cloggie