Smoke scare at St Mary’s Hospital helipad sparks fire crew rush
Air ambulance smoke causes panic
Three fire crews from Newport raced to St Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight just after 8.20pm last night. The alarm was raised after smoke started billowing inside the cabin of an air ambulance helicopter during takeoff.
Quick landing and patient evac
The Airbus H135 chopper was preparing to transfer a local man to a mainland hospital when the smoke issue emerged. The pilot swiftly brought the helicopter down on the hospital’s helipad, and the patient was safely evacuated.
False alarm but full precaution
Fire crews from Ryde and Shanklin were also scrambled but stood down en route. After thorough safety checks by the pilot and firefighters, the incident was declared a false alarm. The patient transfer then continued successfully without further drama.
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