An injured 36-year-old sailor of Ukrainian nationality was winched up from his tanker vessel Maerts Rugen by an Armed Forces of Malta rescue helicopter as it was sailing in rough seas off Malta. The Rescue Coordination Centre at AFM Headquarters in Luqa Barracks said they received a call from the ship at 12.30pm yesterday informing them that one of the crew on board had fallen and suffered possible spinal injuries. An AFM helicopter, crewed by Captain Paul Gauci and aircraft technician Lance Bombardier Godwin Farrugia, was dispatched to the location of the tanker, about 50 nautical miles east of Malta.

It was a tricky operation – in high winds and heavy seas AFM’s Air Wing rescuer Bombardier Ivan Gauci was winched down onto the tanker to give the casualty medical attention. After the sailor’s condition was stabilised, he was winched back onto the helicopter and flown directly to St Luke’s Hospital for further treatment.