A CUMBRAE resident has been airlifted to hospital on the mainland after emergency services were called to an incident in Millport.
A coastguard rescue helicopter from Inverness had to be summoned to the island to carry out the transfer on Tuesday, April 13.
Crews from the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) were already attending the incident in Millport - but the usual coastguard helicopter, based in Prestwick, was already attending a separate incident elsewhere, meaning the Inverness 'copter and crew had to step in.
The land-based Cumbrae team was called out to ensure the island's dedicated helipad was safe and ready for the helicopter to land and for the patient to be transferred.
A spokesperson from Cumbrae Coastguard Rescue Team said: "Helicopter operations form a key part of the core skills training for all Coastguard rescue teams which includes the selection and setup of emergency sites in areas such as roads, fields and beaches.
"This helps ensure the safe and timely transfer of casualties to definitive care in place of a longer journey.
"In this case, once we had confirmed that the casualty had already been transferred into the road ambulance, a decision was made to use the island's dedicated helipad to receive the helicopter rather than set up an alternative landing site.
"The team proceeded to the helipad to prepare the site, check local weather conditions, alert members of the public and check the surrounding area for debris before the crew of Rescue 151 touched down."
The condition of the patient is not yet known, but the Scottish Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.
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