Incredible rescue of a Russian by a Norwegian helicopter near the North Pole

Norwegian rescuers announced, on Wednesday, that a Russian, who was on board a scientific ship stuck in the Arctic ice near the North Pole, was evacuated for medical reasons by a Norwegian helicopter during an amazing operation.

The evacuation took place Tuesday night aboard the Russian ship Severny Polius in 86 degrees north waters over the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, about 240 nautical miles (444 kilometers) from the pole.

At the request of their Russian counterparts, the Norwegian authorities launched a Super Puma helicopter from Longyearbyen, the main town on Svalbard, 500 nautical miles (925 km) away, to evacuate the Russians, whose health condition was deemed to be extremely critical. deal on the ship.

“It’s at the very limit of what a helicopter can do” in terms of range, Ron Danielsen, a spokesman for the Norwegian rescue center in Bodø, told AFP.

“The smallest detail is important to get this far: weight, wind…” he argued.

The operation was carried out in accordance with existing bilateral search and rescue agreements between Norway and Russia in the Arctic, despite the deterioration of relations between the two countries since the Russian attack on Ukraine.

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According to its manufacturer, Airbus Helicopters, the H215 Super Puma has a maximum range of 866 km, without an additional external tank.

The Norwegian helicopter finally refueled in northern Svalbard, where fuel is pre-stored for these kinds of extreme Arctic missions, and then received kerosene again aboard Severny Polius, an 83-meter vessel stuck in the ice like part of a science expedition. .

Arriving safely in Longyearbyen late at night around 2am (00:00 GMT), the Russian patient was evacuated on a medical plane. His current condition is unknown.