Crews of a Buffalo airplane and Cormorant helicopter from the RCAF’s 442 Squadron flew approximately 370 kilometres southwest of Sandspit, British Columbia, to medevac an injured crewman on board a 600 foot bulk carrier on Saturday, May 10.
Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria received a call for assistance after the middle aged crewman suffered severe injuries in a fall down steep stairs. The rescue crews were launched Saturday afternoon, with the helicopter arriving over the ship at 9:30 p.m.
The Cormorant Flight Engineer hoisted two Search and Rescue Technicians to the deck and the patient was placed in a rescue litter. After being hoisted to the Cormorant, the patient was flown to Sandspit and taken aboard the Buffalo for a flight to Victoria. Upon arrival in Victoria, he was transferred to BC Ambulance in stable condition.
442 Transport and Rescue Squadron Cormorant and Buffalo aircraft are JRCC Victoria’s primary means for aviation SAR responses in the Victoria Search and Rescue Region (SRR). The Victoria SRR includes 920,000 square kilometres of mainly mountainous terrain in British Columbia and the Yukon, extending approximately 600 nautical miles (965 kilometres) offshore into the Pacific Ocean.
-Contributed by 19 Wing Comox
