PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Risks of helicopter winching?
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Old 8th Aug 2016, 13:58
  #54 (permalink)  
Same again
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Out West
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Maybe everyone does not warrant a helicopter ride......
Of course not all warrant being air-lifted. But we are often the first on scene to a casualty and neither I nor our paramedics have the gift of telepathy or x-ray vision.

If we are called to assist a casualty in a spot without an obvious landing site the choice is: do we take vaulable time to find somewhere to land and leave the paramedic to struggle to reach them by foot or do we stay at a safe height and winch?

If we have an incident whilst winching then I will be asked why I did not find somewhere suitable to land. If we have an incident trying to land in a hostile area then I will be asked why I did not winch. The casualty might have severe internal injuries - or they might have a dislocated thumb. We do not know.

I am paid to do whatever I can to rescue or deliver medical assistance to a survivor in whatever way we, as a crew, decide. In as safe a way as possible.
Same again is offline