"Can't Board Helicopter" Ultimately Deceased 130kg Chile Emergency Patient

Refusal of Private Medical Helicopter Transport Due to Overweight
"There Must Have Been Alternatives, Patient Left Behind" Criticism
Company Says "Transport Was Not Possible"

An emergency patient in Chile died after being unable to be airlifted by helicopter due to being 'overweight,' sparking controversy.

According to Yonhap News and local Chilean media on the 12th (local time), on the 4th, fisherman Fabian Nyangcupel experienced an allergic hypersensitivity reaction while eating in the island village of Melinka in the Lasquitas region of Ays?n Province, southern Chile.

He was transported to the village's only medical post, but his condition worsened. The medical post decided that he needed to be moved to a large hospital in Coyhaique, the capital of Ays?n Province, and accordingly called a private medical helicopter.

However, the medical helicopter pilot who arrived on site decided that Nyangcupel could not be transported. The reason was that his weight, between 130 and 140 kg, exceeded the helicopter's maximum allowable weight of 120 kg.

Scale.

According to media reports, the bereaved family was told by the pilot, "It could be dangerous if we encounter turbulence during the flight. Unfortunately, the patient cannot be secured with a belt."

Ultimately, Nyangcupel, who was suffering from respiratory distress, reportedly died without being transferred to the large hospital. This fact was revealed to local media after the weekend and sparked controversy over whether the medical helicopter pilot was at fault.

Marcos Silva, mayor of Lasquitas, pointed out, "There must have been alternatives such as requesting military support, but the people on site just left the patient alone," adding, "Recently, a stroke patient from the same village was transported with military assistance."

Amid growing controversy, the private company to which the medical helicopter pilot belongs reportedly issued a statement recently. The company explained, "Although the weather conditions were very bad that day, our company policy is to save lives, so we went to the village of Melinka," and added, "In this patient's case, it was absolutely impossible to transport him." The company also expressed condolences to the bereaved family.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.