The Air Force conducted ten missions, including patient and organ transportation, a rescue operation, and search and rescue actions, over three days from May 24 to 26 at various locations across the national territory.
“The operations in support of the population included medical transport, ship rescue, organ transport for transplantation, search and rescue, and aerial surveillance related to rural fires,” the Air Force stated in a communiqué released on Monday.
From May 24 to 26, the Air Force alert crews carried out the “transport of six patients, in missions executed between islands of the Azores, between islands of Madeira and between Madeira and the mainland.” These operations utilized the C-295M aircraft and the EH-101 Merlin helicopter.
On Sunday, “organ transport for transplantation was conducted using a Falcon 50, which departed from Transit Airfield No. 1, at Portela.”
Also late Sunday, an AW119 Koala helicopter, stationed at Air Base No. 8 in Ovar, “was deployed to assist in the search for two missing children at Praia de Pedrógão.”
On Monday morning, an EH-101 Merlin helicopter took off from Air Base No. 6 in Montijo “to rescue a patient aboard a significant vessel.” The ship was off the coast of Figueira da Foz and was transported to Monte Real before being taken to a hospital unit.
Before returning to the unit, the same EH-101 Merlin conducted searches for the children missing from Sunday. The AW119 helicopter was also deployed, “conducting aerial surveillance of the entire area throughout the day, without any sightings.”
The Air Force was also involved in aerial forest surveillance missions for fire prevention.
In the note, the Air Force explained that “the missions involved several squadrons and air assets, along with a set of military personnel responsible for organizing and planning operations.”
