Fuerteventura helicopter handles its first emergency just an hour after inauguration

While the southern medicalized ambulance was already on duty, the helicopter was dispatched to transport a 68‑year‑old man to the hospital for urgent medical care. Later that same night, the Fuerteventura base was activated again to attend another emergency in El Hierro.

One hour after its presentation on Monday, 23 March, the third medical‑equipped helicopter of the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) based in Fuerteventura completed its first mission, according to the Canary Islands Health Department.

The aircraft was mobilized at 10:15 a.m. to fly to a medical centre in “Jandía” (the health authority did not specify which facility in the municipality of Pájara) and then transfer a 68‑year‑old man requiring urgent specialised care to the General Hospital of Fuerteventura.

The SUC coordinating nurse, who was managing the operation from the emergency room, decided to activate the medical helicopter to handle the two urgent cases in southern Fuerteventura.

The first mission was overseen medically by Dr. Noelia Almeida, SUC coordination chief in Las Palmas, and by nurse Carlos Quintana, SUC resources manager, who were on the island of Málaga for the inauguration ceremony. Both provided in‑flight medical assistance together with the pilot and co‑pilot, ensuring the patient’s stable admission to the hospital despite the seriousness of his condition.

The government statement clarified that the helicopter was dispatched because the southern SUC medicalised ambulance was already transporting another critically ill patient to the hospital.

Second Service: Helicopter Heads to El Hierro

That same night, at 9:00 p.m., the Fuerteventura‑based SUC helicopter was activated again. The medical crew this time comprised Dr. Javier Ruiz and nurse Laura Saavedra, who, together with 14 other health professionals from the General Hospital of Fuerteventura, operate the medicalised aircraft.

The helicopter transferred a severely ill patient from Hospital Nuestra Señora de Los Reyes in El Hierro to Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria in Tenerife, the government communiqué reported.

Third Advanced‑Support Helicopter in the Canary Islands

The Fuerteventura base now adds a third advanced‑support helicopter to the Canary Islands fleet, complementing the units already operating from Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

SUC medical helicopters are deployed to:

• Transport patients between hospitals of different levels for specialised treatment of serious illnesses or accident‑related injuries.
• Conduct urgent evacuations from remote or hard‑to‑reach areas to medical centres.

These aircraft constitute an essential aerial resource for out‑of‑hospital emergency care across the archipelago, operating 365 days a year. All three helicopters are activated by SUC emergency coordinators from the emergency rooms, regardless of the island on which they are based (Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Fuerteventura), following availability and response‑time criteria.