Europa 3 in Suben

Night helicopter has taken off 21 times in 36 days

The Christophorus Europa 3 rescue helicopter is stationed in Suben and has been in operation around the clock since September 25.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

Since the end of September, Christophorus Europa 3 has been on call around the clock in Suben. Now, the “Krone” has received the first detailed report: The rescue helicopter has already been called upon 21 times at night—for serious accidents, resuscitation efforts, and urgent patient transports.

The base for the bright-yellow rescue helicopter at the Suben airfield in the Innviertel region has been staffed around the clock since September 25: Through the Red Cross control center in the Innviertel region, the helicopter—with the call sign Christophorus Europa 3—has since been dispatched on missions even at night. Whether for serious accidents or medical emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes—or even to transport critically ill patients from one hospital to another.

The “Krone” now has an initial breakdown of how often and where the new resource was needed during nighttime hours in its first month. Here is a detailed breakdown of the cases: The helicopter was called directly to emergencies eight times—twice to serious traffic accidents and once to a gas explosion in Bavaria.

Especially over longer distances, the helicopter can make an important contribution to emergency medical care in Upper Austria.

Marco Trefanitz, ÖAMTC-Flugrettung

On two occasions, the crew fought to save patients’ lives through resuscitation; on two other occasions, they were called out due to acute medical conditions. Another mission involved a seriously injured patient (trauma emergency). Of these missions, five took place in Upper Austria and three in Bavaria.

On ten occasions, patients had to be transferred. The flights took patients from the regional hospitals in Ried, Braunau, and Vöcklabruck to larger medical centers in Linz and Salzburg, where specialized treatment is available for severe cases—such as acute cardiovascular conditions. The crews carried out two transfers in Bavaria, with another transport taking place late Thursday night.

“Emergencies don’t stick to a schedule”
As is well known, the helicopter is jointly operated by Austria and Bavaria—specifically by ÖAMTC and ADAC. They are satisfied with the initial results. ÖAMTC Air Rescue Chief Marco Trefanitz says: “Operations are proceeding as planned. The nighttime missions since September 25 show that the emergency medical helicopter is also needed during the night.”