French Guiana: A Puma takes off to rescue twins born on a canoe
Last night, a Puma crew from transport squadron 68 “Indies-Guyana” evacuated twins born prematurely to Cayenne hospital on a canoe.
On Tuesday, 9 April 2024, as torrential rains fell on French Guiana, a
Puma helicopter from the 68 "Indies-Guyana" transport squad was
activated on a medical evacuation. The mission is to repatriate to the
hospital in Cayenne two infants born prematurely on a canoe on the
outskirts of Grand Santi (western Guiana). In this remote area, only the
Puma could lead the mission on time.
The helicopter left airbase 367 at 0015 hours, after the aircraft had
been implemented by the mechanics. On board, two pilots, two flight
mechanics and three SAMU staff with a large incubator. In the dark
night, the crew crisscrossed the air with night vision binoculars (JVN).
“We are in the middle of the rainy
season in French Guiana. At night, it is more complicated to evolve in
the clouds that can potentially become dangerous,” explains Captain
Hélène, the shipowner on the mission. Meanwhile in the hold, things are
activated: preparation of the incubator, definition of the medical
stresses related to altitude, setting the temperature of the bunker ...
At 01:20, the Puma arrives on the area. Soon, SAMU doctors and nurses
joined the victims, in a nearby clinic, first to stabilize their
condition, then then to be able to have them boarded to transfer them to
the hospital in Cayenne. “The urgency
is proven but the newborns are stabilized. The challenge now is to get
to the hospital quickly to provide optimal care,” says the SAMU
doctor on board. Finally, the Puma dropped the newborns and their mother
at 04:15 a.m. on the heliport of the Cayenne hospital.
“Rescue is one of our main motivations
when we choose to play on a helicopter in the Air and Space Army. It is a
meaningful mission,” say the four crew members. In 2023, Transport Squadron 68 (Puma, Fennec, Casa) accounted for nearly 80 medical evacuations.
