The 28-year-old crew member was suspected of having acute appendicitis and was removed from the vessel using a winch before being taken to a hospital in Chukotka
A Mi-8 helicopter operated by Russia’s National Air Ambulance Service rescued a sailor who required emergency medical care aboard a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea.
The 28-year-old patient was a crew member of the Sergei Bocharov, which was sailing toward Anadyr Bay. During the voyage, the man developed symptoms consistent with possible acute appendicitis, a condition that required prompt hospital assessment.
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An aircraft operated by the medical aviation service affiliated with Rostec was dispatched to meet the vessel. Because the ship did not have a suitable landing area, the crew kept the helicopter hovering while a rescuer descended to the deck using a winch.
According to Vyacheslav Pugachev, commander of the Mi-8 involved in the operation, weather conditions allowed the flight and patient evacuation to be carried out safely. He noted that the maneuver required precise coordination among pilots, rescuers and medical personnel.
After preparing the crew member for transport, the rescuer signaled for both of them to be hoisted into the aircraft. This stage is considered one of the most delicate parts of this type of mission, as any change in the helicopter’s position or the vessel’s movement can make the team’s work more difficult.
The flight to Anadyr lasted slightly more than an hour. Initial medical care began while the patient was still inside the helicopter, before he was transferred to the Chukotka Regional Hospital.
Air ambulance services play a strategic role in Chukotka, a vast, sparsely populated region where communities are separated by great distances. In many cases, helicopters and airplanes are the only means of transporting patients to hospitals with adequate facilities.
According to Rostec, since 2020, teams from the National Air Ambulance Service have conducted more than 1,830 flights in the region and assisted more than 2,250 patients, including approximately 260 children.
Source and images: Rostec — Telegram @rostecru. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
