Athlone air ambulance damaged in Tipp accident

The Athlone-based air ambulance helicopter sustained damage when it made a dramatic crash landing near Borrisoleigh, County Tipperary, yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. Details were still emerging at the time of going to press. However, a spokesperson for the Department of Defence said there were "no serious injuries" from the incident while a representative of the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) said he wasn't aware of any injuries arising from it. The new emergency air ambulance service which is based in Athlone's Custume Barracks has been used to transport the victims of road accidents, strokes and heart attacks during its first ten days in operation. The service has been responding to an average of one emergency call each day since it began on June 4. A national media report yesterday (Tuesday) stated that the service was required at ten incidents during its first ten days. These included the airlift of a seriously injured cyclist following a collision in Clare, and a critically injured rally navigator from a crash in Portlaoise. The service has also carried several stroke and heart attack patients to hospitals in cases where the same journey by road would have taken too long. "The helicopter can only be requested by a paramedic at a scene if they believe the situation warrants an emergency transfer," said the medical director for the National Ambulance Service, Dr Cathal O'Donnell. "Most of the calls have been medical emergencies but there have been some serious injury transfers too." The Air Corps and the National Ambulance Service operate the air ambulance, which has a particular focus on the west of the country. The HSE said the scheme is being operated on a pilot basis for twelve months in order to determine whether there is a need for a dedicated aeromedical service. The Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, and the Minister for Defence, Alan Shatter, launched the service in Athlone on May 21. The air ambulance currently operates between 8am and 6pm daily, and the area it covers is limited by fuel restrictions which mean the helicopter has a maximum flight time of roughly 50 minutes in any one direction.