Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Mar;34(1):31-37.
doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2022.09.007. Epub 2022 Dec 12.

Helicopter-Based Search and Rescue Operations in the Dutch Caribbean: A Retrospective Analysis

Elena Argia Bianca Bensi  1 , Roy Spijkerman  1 , Philip A Brown  2 , Shaun Knights  2 , David R Nellensteijn  3
Affiliations

Helicopter-Based Search and Rescue Operations in the Dutch Caribbean: A Retrospective Analysis

Elena Argia Bianca Bensi et al. Wilderness Environ Med. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Introduction: Search and rescue (SAR) operations in the Dutch Caribbean offer basic and advanced prehospital care and transport for definitive care. Helicopter-based SAR in this geographic area has not been previously studied. Data from the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard were analyzed with the aim of describing the current operational setting and optimizing SAR operations in the future.

Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from March 2018 through April 2021. Epidemiologic data, patient demographics, details of flight operations, medical interventions, and outcomes were collected and analyzed for this period.

Results: A total of 91 individuals were assisted through SAR, of whom 40 (44%) had a medical emergency. Most incidents occurred during high-tourism seasons. A yearly increase in helicopter tasking was observed. Boating was the most common activity (25%) requiring SAR. Injuries to the extremities were the most common injury (27%). The median time to reach the scene of SAR was 46 (interquartile range [IQR], 33-66) min. The most frequent reason for delay was the unavailability of a winch operator (15%). Of 16 fatalities, most (63%) were attributed to drowning. A total of 18 persons were transported to a hospital, with a median travel time of 63 (IQR, 47-79) min.

Conclusions: The number of SAR missions in the Dutch Caribbean is increasing. The response times might be reduced by the inclusion of an on-call winch operator. A hospital helipad would likely decrease the time to definitive care. Stand-by physicians might improve the quality of medical care. Collection of data should be optimized in the future.

Keywords: helicopter emergency medical services; prehospital emergency care; trauma.

PubMed Disclaimer