Airmen rescue Icelandic fisherman

  • Published
  • By JO2 Mat Sohl
  • Iceland Defense Force Public Affairs
Seven 48th Fighter Wing Airmen assigned to Naval Air Station Keflavík, Iceland , rescued an injured Icelandic fisherman March 10.

The Airmen assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron rescued 23-year-old Magnús Árni Hallgrímsson, who was injured when a fishing line severed his leg – a potentially life-threatening wound – aboard his vessel Haukur, which was cruising 19 nautical miles off of Iceland ’s west coast.

The 56th RSQ is part of the 85th Group at NAS Keflavík, which is a geographically separated unit of the 48th Fighter Wing that is based at RAF Lakenheath, England .

Leadership from the 56th RQS was notified of the incident by the Icelandic Coast Guard, which had no mission-capable helicopters at the time of the initial distress call.

The 56th RQS immediately launched one HH-60G rescue helicopter manned with an aircrew, rescue and medical personnel.

The crew reached the Hauker within 25 minutes and deployed two pararescue personnel onto the fishing vessel to stabilize the injured man and hoist him aboard the rescue helicopter.

“The whole crew did an outstanding job,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Sexton, 56th RQS commander, and the pilot of the rescue helicopter. “(Master) Sgt. Derek Pinkerton, our flight engineer, and the PJs did an amazing job handling the fishing vessel’s extreme pitch and roll caused by 12- to 15-foot ocean swells.”

The injured Icelandic national was transported to a civilian hospital in Reykjavík , Iceland , where he was treated for his injuries.

“This is what we train for,” said Colonel Sexton. “When we get called to perform a real-world operation and all that training and planning comes together, it really recharges the batteries. I think that this (rescue) is a big boost for not only the 56th, but the entire 85th Group.”

The other rescue crew members included Maj. (Dr.) Brian J. Tollefson, a flight doctor; 1st Lt. Josh Irvine, the co-pilot; Staff Sgt. Michael Herrera, PJ; Senior Airman Joshua Vandenbrink, PJ; and Airman 1st Class Thomas Seffernick, aircrew member.