Greifswald (dpa/mv) - The rescue helicopter "Christoph 47" stationed in Greifswald deployed more frequently in the first half of this year than in the same period last year. The mid-year balance for the Greifswald team published by the DRF Luftrettung on Monday lists 780 missions. For the first half of 2021, the DRF had given 693.
Overall, the DRF Luftrettung started more missions in the first half of 2022. According to the information, the crews of the 29 stations nationwide and the two ambulance aircraft were alarmed 19,791 times from January to June 2022.
This is an increase of eight percent, said Krystian Pracz, CEO of DRF Luftrettung. The DRF Luftrettung most frequently treated patients with heart diseases (21 percent), such as heart attacks, or neurological incidents (18 percent) during emergency operations. This is followed by accident victims from (crash) falls and traffic accidents, each with 11 percent.
At night, the crews of the eleven 24-hour stations nationwide were also required: the air rescuers carried out around 20 percent of their missions during the first half of the year during the night hours.
The Greifswald rescue helicopter has also been in use at night since summer 2020 - as the only one in the northeast. A new machine has been in use in Western Pomerania since the end of June. It should be able to transport more loads, fly more smoothly and have a longer range. In addition, the engines should be better protected against sand by a filter, for example when used on the Baltic Sea beaches.
