Joint intervention between an HH-139B of the 85th SAR Center (Search & Rescue) of Pratica di Mare and CNSAS Lazio personnel
An air rescue operation carried out by an HH-139B helicopter of the 85th SAR Center (Search and Rescue) of the Air Force stationed at the Pratica di Mare base ended in the early hours of this morning. The helicopter intervened to recover and rescue a 53-year-old man who has been missing since yesterday evening in the Carpineto Romano area, in the province of Rome.
The flight mission, requested by the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS) of Lazio and activated by the Aerospace Operations Command (Coa) of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara), began in the early hours of the morning, with the arrival of the helicopter in interested area shortly before 6:00, after having embarked two technical operators of the CNSAS, already activated since yesterday evening with the first searches by land.
Once the exact position of the missing person was identified, in an inaccessible area that prevented the aircraft from landing, the winch was lowered through which the air rescuers were able to secure the man to a stretcher, facilitating his boarding on the helicopter. The 53-year-old, fortunately in good health, was then transported to a place reachable by a 118 ambulance for the first health checks.
The HH139B then returned to Military Practice shortly after 07:30, where it resumed service in alert readiness.
The Aerospace Operations Command of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara) has, among its tasks, also that of coordinating and managing this type of mission and immediately arranging, as in this case, the intervention of one of the aircraft that the Air Force has in operational readiness.
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The 85th SAR Center depends on the 15th Stormo of Cervia which guarantees, 24 hours a day, 24 days a year, without interruption, the search and rescue of flight crews in difficulty, also contributing to activities of public utility such as the search for missing persons at sea or in the mountains, the emergency medical transport of patients in imminent danger of life and the rescue of seriously traumatized people, also operating in complex meteorological conditions.
From its establishment to today, the crews of the 15th Wing have saved thousands of people in danger of life. Since 2018, the Department has also acquired the AIB (Forest Fire Fighting) capability, contributing to the prevention and fight against fires throughout the national territory as part of the inter-force device put in place by the Defence.