On Saturday, the British Royal Air Force carried out a mission straight out of a movie, parachuting a doctor and a nurse onto the remote island of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean. This overseas territory, which has no airport and can only be reached by sea, was in need of urgent medical assistance for a man critically ill and suspected of being infected with the hantavirus.
“The army doctors were flown over 11,000 kilometers from [the Royal Air Force base at] Brize Norton to the most isolated inhabited island to assist the two doctors of Tristan da Cunha, overwhelmed and running low on supplies,” reported Courrier International, citing The Sunday Telegraph.
The sick individual was aboard the Hondius, the cruise ship hit by this deadly virus. After showing initial symptoms, his condition deteriorated and he required respiratory assistance. Lacking sufficient medical equipment, the authorities of the 221-inhabitant island sought help from the UK Army. Despite challenging winds, the man was eventually rescued by six paratroopers and two doctors. This marked the first time the British army parachuted medical personnel for humanitarian aid, as reported by the Ministry of Defense and confirmed by the BBC. The BBC added that the man is now in isolation in stable condition.
