Since last night, the rescue of a 28-year-old citizen, of German nationality, in Ponta do Pargo, who was forced to make an emergency landing when he was paragliding, in the pebble area has been underway.
The rescue is being coordinated by the Maritime Authority and, according to Rui Teixeira, commander of the Maritime Zone of Madeira, in statements to JM, the Air Force helicopter has already made two unsuccessful attempts to approach the man, having been forced to return to Madeira Airport.
Due to the strong swell and the fact that it is in an area of difficult access, the Air Force made a third attempt at lunchtime as the tide was out.
Several emergency services attended the incident including the Maritime Authority, as well as Civil Protection, PSP, and Volunteer Firefighters of Calheta.
At 13:50 it was reported that the German citizen had now been rescued from the Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse escarpment, after being trapped in a hard-to-reach area, between sea and land.
The rescue, carried out by the Air Force Merlin helicopter, was completed after five attempts, in an effort marked by the dexterity and audacity of the rescue teams. The operation required several hours of dedicated coordination due to the challenging conditions.
According to the newspaper, the man was initially transported to the airport, from where an ambulance took him to hospital for medical evaluation. The victim’s health status has not yet been officially disclosed.
For those interested, the final minute of the rescue was recorded and can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/h9s2E2DLeuY
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
