A woman was rescued by the Air Force on Friday afternoon in Serra da Estrela after sustaining injuries in a “difficult-to-reach area.”
In a statement to the press, the Air Force detailed that the woman had “a leg fracture” and was located near Lagoa do Peixão, a challenging area to access, necessitating the deployment of the AW119 Koala helicopter, which is on “constant alert at Air Base No. 8 in Ovar.”
A rescue operator descended to the site and, “using a winch,” the woman, who was “conscious and stable,” was transported to a point previously coordinated with the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC).
At the designated location, an ambulance was ready to “ensure the ground transport to a hospital unit.”
The Air Force reported that the helicopter returned to the base by 3:00 PM after a mission lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes.
“The operation underscores once again the readiness and efficiency of the 552 Squadron, based at Air Base No. 11 in Beja, which maintains a permanent alert at BA8 for search and rescue missions both on land and at sea,” it reads.
In 2024, the Air Force “directly supported 881 people through medical transports, rescues, and search and rescue missions,” noting that this was “the highest figure compared to the 779 people supported in 2023,” reflecting “a 10% increase.”
It also noted that throughout the 366 days of the year, the Air Force “maintained its alert readiness, 24 hours a day, across the country, transporting by air 840 individuals requiring essential medical care for survival, a figure greater by over 100 patients compared to the previous year, mainly between islands of each archipelago but also from the archipelagos to the mainland.”
Regarding last year’s search and rescue missions, the Air Force reported 41 individuals rescued “both on land and at sea.” It highlighted a “complex” mission involving the rescue of two people on different vessels in the early hours of April 29.
