The demand for emergency air lifts is on the rise, reports Swiss air rescue service Rega. In 2017, it operated 12,660 flights – a 6.5% increase on the previous year. In total, Rega personnel served 10,788 people, or 29 per day on average. Nearly 900 missions required an ambulance jet; the rest were handled using helicopters, reported the non-profit foundation on Wednesday. + How does Rega work? This gallery gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse Rega – whose work is funded by donations, membership fees, and insurance companies – coordinated 15,958 missions in 2017, which is 5.7% more than in the previous year. Rega also arranges rescue operations for the Swiss Alpine Club – or for trapped cavers or animals in need. Such operations are carried out with commercial aircraft. Operations included, for example, the repatriation of patients from abroad via a scheduled flight, as was the case for 348 patients. Another 901 patients flew home in one of Rega’s three ambulance jets. ...
