Scots base sparks Russian rescue
Loading...
Friday, September 05, 2008
A rescue operation has been launched in eastern Russia - after a distress signal was picked up 3,700 miles away by a Scottish RAF base.
Their personal locater beacon was picked up by satellites monitored by RAF Kinloss in Moray.
The alarm was raised by a biology research party from Nottingham University after a female member fell from a horse and broke her leg.
Russian rescue teams were alerted and sent to the remote Kamchatka region.
The 406 MHz distress beacon triggered by the research party is registered in the UK and uses GPS technology which gives a very accurate position within five seconds of being activated.
It was detected by the UK Mission Control Centre within the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at RAF Kinloss at about 2200 BST on Thursday.
An RAF satellite monitoring system operator contacted her Russian counterparts, who have sent a rescue helicopter to attempt to reach the injured woman.
The group was nearing the end of a two-and-a-half month expedition to the Kamchatka peninsula when the accident happened.
Severe weather was making the helicopter rescue very difficult. Due to the rugged terrain within the Kamchatka Nature Park, the only way out is by either horseback or helicopter.