Royal Airforce search and rescue aids Canadian navy with med evac flight far from shore. To hospital
HMCS Montreal alongside Old Faithful Sea King
A British military search and rescue helicopter made a dangerous long-distance flight over the North Atlantic on Wednesday to provide urgent medical transport to a Canadian navy sailor injured at sea. A British Sea King flew about 300 kilometres off the western coast of Ireland to meet a Canadian naval vessel carrying the injured sailor.
The 50-year-old sailor had crushed his hand in one of the ship's steel doors and was in urgent need of medical attention, according to Canadian navy officials.
The sailor was a crewman aboard HMCS Montreal, which was part of a four-ship Canadian naval task group on its way to Glasgow, Scotland, to participate in international naval exercises.
Maj. Paul Doucette, spokesman for Maritime Forces Atlantic, said the Montreal did not have a Sea King helicopter aboard.
Instead, Doucette said the Montreal broke away from the task group and raced east toward Ireland. In the meantime, British authorities had been contacted and had been asked for assistance.
The British Royal Air Force responded. It stripped excess gear off one of its 1977-era Sea Kings in order to increase its range, and dispatched it over the North Atlantic to meet the Montreal.
At the time, the weather at sea had deteriorated to such a degree that the Sea King crew had difficulty locating the Montreal, the British Defence Ministry said.
But using its radar, the British crew was eventually able to find the Montreal and land on its deck to pick up the injured Canadian sailor.
The helicopter then flew to Ireland, where the Canadian sailor was sent to hospital for surgery to save his hand.
He's OK, Doucette said.
A big BRAVO ZULU to our commonwealth allies the Royal Airforce.
May our Canadian Sailor heal rapidly and fully.
On a sad note The RAF has lost a man in Afghanistan,
An RAF serviceman has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said. The gunner, from 34 Squadron RAF Regiment, died on Thursday while on a patrol near Camp Bastion, in Helmand Province.
Lt/Col Nick Richardson, of Task Force Helmand, called it a true loss. The man's next of kin have been informed.
The death means 219 British service personnel have died in Afghanistan since the conflict began in 2001. This story came from our roving reader Debbie who is currently in the UK.
Remember Everyone Deployed
Land Sea or Air Canadians are everywere !
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
