Following the IDF helicopter crash in Rafah in the Gaza Strip earlier this week, new details were revealed regarding the rescue mission.
A rescue team from the Kedem Battalion of the Home Front Command joined the troops that were on the ground. The rescue of the female pilot was complex since she had been caught between the helicopter parts. The rescue mission was successful and the pilot was taken out of the helicopter while she was conscious.
A combat soldier from the Kedem Battalion accompanied her throughout the duration of the rescue and provided her with initial treatment to prevent a stress reaction.
The rescue of an additional soldier trapped under the helicopter required the battalion engineer to decide on the rescue method and direct the heavy equipment tools for a precise rescue.
Second Lieutenant Orel Demoz, who was part of the rescue effort, recounted how quickly he arrived in the area with his soldiers. “In all incidents to which we are called, we think about those who were hurt,” he said, adding that being called to such incidents renders the troops sharper and allows them to “understand that we have to do our job in the most professional manner.”
When the rescue team arrived, Demoz said they conducted a situational assessment with the Givati commander on the ground.
“We started working to extract the female pilot that was trapped inside the helicopter, understanding the complexity of the rescue. We acted with sensitivity and with the help of delicate tools, he said, adding that they maintained “the security of the female pilot who was trapped and prevented the helicopter from catching fire.”
With regard to the rescue of the soldier trapped under the helicopter, the Sec.-Lt. said, “With the help of the engineer of the Kedem Battalion, we used the heavy equipment to lift the helicopter in a precise way while the rest of our soldiers made sure that there were no more casualties.
Combat soldier recounts rescue efforts
Corporal Lisa Leonov, a combat soldier in the Magen Company, said, “We were called in quickly and the entire team was alert and ready. On the way to the scene of the disaster, they mentally prepared us for the fact that we were entering a complex event and were about to be exposed to difficult sights.
“In every rescue team, there is one soldier who is responsible for contact with those who are trapped, and I knew that this time it was my mission,” she affirmed.
“I immediately arrived to the pilot who was trapped, introduced myself, and began to communicate with her and do a procedure with her aimed at reducing trauma in a complex event,” she noted
She spoke of the bravery of the pilot who “remained conscious while the team’s soldiers rescued her.I realized that it was difficult for her to speak, so I focused on questions to which the answer is yes/no.
“From the moment you are called, you cut off your emotions and focus on doing your job in the best way possible and being able to keep calm and broadcast that everything is fine; when I saw her, I knew I would do everything to help her physically and mentally.”
In the helicopter crash, two soldiers were killed and seven were wounded to various degrees.
The incident occurred at 12:23 a.m. when a Black Hawk helicopter landed badly while attempting to rescue a wounded soldier. It is estimated that the crash occurred due to a human error and not enemy fire. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
The evacuation of the wounded ended at about 2:00 a.m. All the wounded were evacuated to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
This is the first operational accident of a helicopter of this kind. After the incident, the commander of the Israel Air Force, Major-General Tomer Bar, appointed a military investigation committee to look into the circumstances of the incident, and the IDF stated that there was no change in the operational activity of the Air Force.
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