Bristow Netherlands have recorded their 500th emergency tasking since the service went live.

On Saturday, September 27, at 3:00 p.m., the SAR team based at Midden-Zeeland were tasked to the oil tanker Isabella following a request for a medical evacuation for a person on-board.

On arriving at the scene, the Winchman and SAR Nurse were lowered onto the tanker to assess the casualty. The patient was then winched to the helicopter and safely flown to hospital care in Rotterdam, marking the completion of Bristow Netherlands’ 500th mission.

Since the service went live in 2022, Bristow Netherlands has provided lifesaving operations on behalf of the Netherlands Coastguard - Kustwacht Nederland - from two strategically located bases: Den Helder and Midden-Zeeland.

Using specialist SAR-configured AW189 helicopters, crews have responded to a wide range of emergencies, including: 126 medical evacuations from offshore vessels, 92 people in difficulty in the water, 12 reports of persons overboard and 8 reports of vessels on fire.

“This is a significant milestone for Bristow Netherlands,” said James Lorraine, Director at Bristow. “Establishing a new service with new bases and aircraft is always a complex undertaking, but our teams have shown exceptional professionalism since the contract began three years ago. They operate a service that Bristow, and the Netherlands, can be proud of.”