Jeju Maritime Police Rescue Stroke Patient 600km Offshore After Dramatic In-Flight Refueling Operation

Ultra-Long-Distance Rescue Beyond the Round Trip Between Seoul and Jeju
Twice Refueled Mid-Flight by a Large Patrol Vessel
Precise Fuel Calculations and Seamless Coordination Save a Life

The Jeju Regional Maritime Police Agency set a new milestone in maritime emergency rescue by successfully transporting a suspected stroke patient from a vessel located 604 kilometers southwest of Marado—an ultra-long-distance at sea—after a tense operation in which a helicopter received fuel twice from a large patrol vessel in flight, ultimately delivering the patient safely to a hospital on Jeju Island.

Jeju Regional Coast Guard Agency urgently transported a suspected stroke patient (Korean male in his 60s) by helicopter to a hospital on Jeju Island on the afternoon of the 13th, after two refuelings on a vessel located 604 km southwest of Marado. Photo provided by Jeju Regional Coast Guard Agency.

This rescue operation took place farther from shore than a round trip between Seoul and Jeju. At approximately 4:32 p.m. on May 13, the Jeju Regional Maritime Police Agency urgently dispatched its helicopter from Jeju Airport, marking the start of the mission. However, with a distance of over 600 kilometers to cover, the helicopter could not make the round trip on a single tank of fuel under normal circumstances.

To overcome this, the maritime police executed a meticulously planned in-flight refueling operation. At around 5:32 p.m., while en route to the accident site, the helicopter secured its power by replenishing 400 liters of fuel from a pre-positioned 5,000-ton patrol vessel.

About two hours after departure, at 6:37 p.m., the rescue team arrived on scene and swiftly hoisted the seaman in his 60s, who was showing symptoms of a suspected stroke, onto the helicopter.

The return journey was equally challenging. Carrying the patient back, the helicopter had to refuel once more at around 7:30 p.m., receiving an additional 600 liters of fuel from the same patrol vessel, before finally landing back on Jeju Island.

The helicopter safely landed at Jeju Airport at around 9:00 p.m. and handed the patient over to the waiting 119 emergency medical team, successfully completing a critical mission that lasted about four and a half hours.

This type of ultra-long-distance rescue, which involves refueling in flight, is considered a highly complex operation that requires not only precise coordination of aerial and maritime assets but also advanced fuel transfer techniques. It is expected to serve as a key response model for closing the wide rescue gap in the waters surrounding Jeju Island.

Kim Sungchul, head of the Jeju Air Unit, emphasized, "We will do our utmost to maintain an uninterrupted rescue response system even in remote seas, to protect the precious lives of our citizens." Meanwhile, the Jeju Regional Maritime Police Agency has successfully transported a total of five emergency patients by helicopter so far this year, including this latest rescue.

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