IAF evacuates injured French woman from Leh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 17

The IAF on Friday evacuated a 50-year-old French woman who was seriously injured in a road mishap while on a road trip to Leh on bikes along with her husband.

Bresson Florence was taken to a nearby Army hospital and shifted to the ICU at SNM Hospital in Leh. Her condition was critical while her husband, Christophe, suffered minor injuries.

The Embassy of France at New Delhi requested immediate evacuation of the patients to Chandigarh or Delhi on Thursday. A C-17 Globemaster aircraft was prepared with a Patient Transfer Unit, a mobile ICU. However, the weather at Leh on Thursday did not allow the aircraft to land. Early on Friday, a C-17 aircraft from Chandigarh landed at Leh with the PTU. Bresson was transferred to the PTU.

Simultaneously, a C-130 Hercules aircraft from Hindon reached Leh and took off with the patient accompanied by her husband and other medicare personnel and landed in New Delhi.

“Due to bad weather we could not launch the aircraft last evening. Our medical team was in touch with the doctors at Leh and at the first opportune moment, both the aircraft were launched and the mission was executed successfully,” said Air Cmde S Srinivasan, Air Officer Commanding, 12 Wing Chandigarh.