Parachuters use flares in nighttime medical mission
25/07/2023
U.S. Air Force pararescuemen have used flares in a nighttime medical mission involving a fisherman with a serious head injury.
The 131st Rescue Squadron, 129th Rescue Wing, California Air National Guard onboard an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft parachuted down as the HC-130 search and rescue crew fired off flares to light the way. They carried medical supplied and treated the fisherman for two days.
The casualty was struck by a metal pole when a pulley snapped on the Victoria G, 750 miles off the coast of Costa Rica one night in July.
The fishing boat crew sent a duress call, which was received by the U.S. Coast Guard District 11 Coordination Center
An HC-130 Combat King II aircraft transporting aircrew and the Guardian Angel pararescue team lurched to help, but had to overcome a challenging mission including language barriers and navigating to a remote location at night.
Tech. Sgt. Gershom, a pararescueman with the 131st Rescue Squadron, says, “We were trying to get detailed information on how critical the patient was and that would determine how much risk we would take, and as the sun set and it went into darkness, it elevates our risk jumping in the ocean.”
Tactical aircraft maintenance specialist Tech. Sgt. Jose Arceo was the interpreter between the vessel and the aircrew.
Initially, communication was difficult, but with the support of another boat in the area, the rescue team determined the exact coordinates of the vessel and found them within 15 minutes.
The Guardian Angel pararescue team parachuted into the Central Pacific Ocean and onto the vessel to assess the patient’s condition and provide treatment over several days.
Tech. Sgt. Tammer, 131st Rescue Squadron jump master says, “The seriousness of the young patient’s injuries was in the back of our minds the whole time we were weighing the risks of jumping a team in at night into such a remote location. We had to assume his injuries were possibly life-threatening or could lead to permanent neurological damage if left untreated.”
The rescue team remained on the fishing vessel and provided extensive neurological exams and treatment before they could transfer the patient to a larger vessel, the Royal Midori.
The patient and pararescue team were then transferred to Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and a medical treatment center.
“It is a great feeling to know that we could aid an injured person over 2,000 miles away and help bring him home,” says Tech. Sgt. Tammer. “It demonstrates the unique capability the 129th Rescue Wing and the Air Force pararescue team offers, in general, to the Department of Defense and the nation.”
The medical evacuation is the 1158th life saved by the 129th Rescue Wing.
The image is a U.S. Air National Guard photo taken by Staff Sgt. Duane Ramos
Source: https://www.dvidshub.net.
