Cork-based emergency helicopter service facing into busy summer period

The North Cork-based Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (Hems) is facing its busiest time of the year, having already attended nearly 300 emergency call-outs.

The first air-ambulance flight was in 2018, and the team now do 60 call-outs every month on their Eurocopter EC-135 helicopter from the base at Rathcoole airfield, near Mallow.

A spokesperson for the group said that so far this year they have been tasked out to 295 incidents, adding: “At this time of year, there is an increase in call-outs, due to longer daylight hours and more accidents from outdoor activities.”

Quicker

The team cover all of Munster, including all the peninsulas, such as Beara and Mizen in Cork, and can get to these extreme points considerably quicker than a road-based ambulance.

“Time is critical in quickly reaching victims with serious injuries and/or road accidents, and the Eurocopter EC-135 can do 160 miles per hour,” said the spokesperson.

“This time of year, there are a lot of farm accidents and they are also called out for emergency heart attack and stroke patients, and children having accidents, as well as road accidents, so time is critical in quickly getting to the site.

“It only takes the Hems air ambulance 16 minutes to get to Dingle. That’s why their location in Rathcoole Mallow is so important — the central location in the heart of Munster means it can cover all of Munster quickly.”

The team might have to fly a patient to one of several hospitals, depending on the type of injuries they have received — either in Cork, Limerick, or Kerry, or to Dublin if they require specialist treatment.

Crash

A recent mission included a motorcycle crash, which happened to occur in Rathcoole itself, last week.

The helicopter had just completed another mission and was returning from CUH back to its base, when the crew received the emergency call for medical assistance at the accident in the village.

The Hems responded immediately to the emergency call and landed near the scene of the accident, on the Rathcoole housing estate green, within five minutes of receiving the emergency call-out.

“The prompt response to the emergency call at Rathcoole village is testament to the great work that’s being done by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service at Rathcoole airfield,” the spokesperson said. “It is understood that the driver of the motorbike didn’t receive serious injuries, and is recovering well.”