The Airborne Service Helicopter Offered Medical Evacuation for A foreign Sailor Who Got Hurt on A Freighter
On November 20, 2015, a Sri Lankan sailor got his back hurt when carelessly felling from the steps in the engine room and could not move anymore. He was at that time worked on a Liberian freighter named MAY OLDENDORFF at the waters 6 sea miles to the southeast of Hualien Airport. Due to the height difference between the freighter and the Coast Guard naval vessel, the latter could not finish the evacuation operation. Therefore, the national search center urgently applied for the helicopters of Airborne Service Corp, MOI to proceed medical evacuation on 21th. After receiving the task inform, the Airborne Service Corp immediately made a risk assessment and confirm the basic data and coordinate position of the freighter at about 19:40. The Corp then dispatched equipped crews of Type UH-1H (No. NA-513) from Group 3 of the 1st Service Battalion to go for rescue on 21th. The task plane arrived at the target area at about 7:10 on 21th. Due to the bad maritime conditions, it might be risk for the plane to landed at the apron of the freighter. After discussion, crews of the task plane decided to adopt aloft hanging method. They carried the injured into plane successfully and arrived at the Hualien Airport at about 7:15. The ambulance personnel took over the patient to do further rescue. The mission was successfully completed.