Swiss air rescue operated over 3,000 lifesaving missions in 2023
In 2023, Air-Glaciers, the Swiss rescue airline, conducted a total of 3,209 rescue missions. While this figure remains high, it falls short of the record-breaking 3,264 missions recorded in 2022. However, during the festive period there were more interventions than last year.
The first half of 2023 was down on the previous year, with a drop of more than 150 missions, the Valais-based rescue airline said on Friday.
The summer season was marked by a large number of helicopter missions due to favourable weather conditions, allowing outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy long sunny days. More than 900 helicopter missions were carried out by Air-Glaciers personnel between mid-June and the end of October.
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Alongside its helicopter operations, Air-Glaciers oversees the Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Service (SMUR) for the central Valais region throughout the entire year. In 2023, the Sion SMUR intervened 990 times, comprising 578 day missions and 412 night missions.
Busy festive period
The recent combination of snowy and sunny weather has drawn many people outdoors. Throughout the festive period, spanning from December 23 to January 2, Air-Glaciers crews were dispatched 230 times, a notable increase from the 158 interventions recorded during the same period last year.
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December 28 and December 30 were the busiest days, with 34 interventions each, all bases combined.
Skiers frequently contributed to incidents, with holidaymakers populating the slopes until Sunday. The first alert on Friday occurred at 11:15 am, involving a Belgian tourist who experienced a pneumothorax resulting from a ski pole injury.
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