A Wildcat deployed with RFA Mounts Bay in the Caribbean has rescued a British citizen who had been trapped beneath rubble for several days on Great Abaco Island.
According to the Ministry of Defence in a news release, the successful search and rescue mission took place this week.
“The individual was removed from the rubble and brought back to RFA Mounts Bay to be treated by the team of Royal Navy medics onboard and was provided with emergency medication before being airlifted to the capital, Nassau.”
The Wildcat also conducted a casualty evacuation of an American woman, her two children and a baby to Nassau.
Wildcat pilot Lieutenant Lee Holborn said:
“We are tasked to provide reconnaissance and assistance where necessary and it is always rewarding to know that you have made a significant difference, not only to the wider island, but to the individual families of those affected.”
Surgeon Lieutenant Rebecca Miles said in a release:
“The patients were in a poorly condition and required immediate medical care. It was hugely rewarding to utilise my training and skills to provide essential and immediate lifesaving care to this family.”
RFA Mounts Bay Commanding Officer, Captain Rob Anders added:
“The wildcat has proven time and again its vital importance in support of our mission, be it the delivery of essential relief ashore, conducting reconnaissance or undertaking lifesaving search and rescue tasks.”
The MoD say that the ship has been in the Caribbean since June in preparation for the hurricane season and was re-tasked last week to sail to The Bahamas in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian, the strongest ever recorded in The Bahamas.
For those who haven’t seen yet here is an interesting article on Britannia Maritime Aid’s planned disaster relief ship to be built in Britain https://www.clbh.co.uk/new-contracts/cammell-laird-helps-launch-plans-150m-disaster-relief-ship
This is great! A lot like the various ideas a lot of us have posted here about medical/disaster ships to be funded by Overseas aid department . That could then be then dual use and also help ship building in the U.K.
I see Penny Mourdant endorsed it when she was the minister in charge of foreign aid. Hopefully this is a way for the government to fund this type of capability. We need more than 1 though and buy more equipment for it a few merlins etc that again can be augmented to use by mod if needed at short notice.
They have a crowdfunding to help take it to next stage I will certainly do my share for a it to push this forward.
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/BritanniaMaritimeAid
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/BritanniaMaritimeAid
Just the crowdsourcing page link as hidden in comment above.
Yes it is a piece of good news, I’m a little low on money at the minute, but as soon as I have some to spare I too will be making a contribution.
I love the wildcat, it has more powerful engines than the lynx and the lynx held the world speed record for decades so has the wildcat even tried to beat it, if not why not! It would be a great publicity boost, if it got the WR that is. And it sucks how the wildcat holds two less passengers than the lynx! Is that because of new systems onboard wildcat yeah?