On Saturday evening, 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron was tasked by Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria on a mission to medically evacuate an injured crew member from a bulk carrier and transport the individual to hospital for urgent care.
The bulk carrier was located 550 km (300 nautical miles) west of Vancouver Island at the time of the call of the medevac. A CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and a CC-115 Buffalo were tasked to respond to the incident.
Once the mission was tasked to 442 Squadron, the ship altered its course to reduce the distance and time that the aircraft would have to travel over water. During the rescue phase of the mission, the Buffalo provided top-cover for the Cormorant helicopter.
SAR techs were lowered to the ship and prepared the patient for transport. The crew arrived in Comox with the patient at around 1:30 AM and the patient was transferred to hospital by BC Ambulance Service.
No further details are available at this time. The Department of National Defence says they will not release the name of the patient, the nature of their injuries, or the name of the bulk carrier.
