Due to the weather conditions in the municipality of Santana, the helicopter cannot operate and the rescue will be carried out on land, Paulo Leme, commander of the Santana Volunteer Fire Department, told JM.
The Santana Volunteer Firefighters (BVS) team is already with the victim, a tourist who suffered a serious injury to her leg while walking between Queimadas and Vale da Lapa, in Santana. The tourist suffered a fall and ended up being seriously injured. There is another tourist injured, but not seriously.
Firefighters are with the victim, a tourist who will have to be rescued by land, as the Civil Protection helicopter cannot operate in that area due to the weather conditions. As the woman remains far from the main road and in a difficult to access location, support was requested from the Madeiran Volunteer Firefighters (BVM) team. To remove the tourist from the site, “rescue material and a few more hours of work will be needed”, said the BVS commander.
Paulo Leme revealed to JM that the “operation still has another hour to go. Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions, which are rainy and foggy, it did not allow the helicopter to be activated, so the entire operation will continue by land, with the BVS and BVM rescue teams”.
There are also two forest guards and nine members of the Santana Volunteer Firefighters who waited for the arrival of the BVM team. Only then will the woman be transported to the road, and then on to the hospital.