Tristan Da Cunha/London (HRNW) – The British military has carried out an unprecedented emergency rescue operation on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha following a suspected hantavirus case, deploying paratroopers, medical staff, and supplies to provide urgent care.
According to media reports, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that six paratroopers and two military medics from the 16 Air Assault Brigade were dropped onto the island after parachuting from a Royal Air Force A400M aircraft.
The aircraft departed from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, UK, and first reached Ascension Island before continuing nearly 3,000 kilometers south to Tristan da Cunha. During the mission, the aircraft was refueled mid-air by an RAF Voyager tanker.
Along with personnel, oxygen cylinders and essential medical supplies were also delivered. Officials said this marks the first time British military medical teams have been deployed by parachute for humanitarian assistance.
The operation was launched to assist a British citizen aboard a cruise ship suspected of spreading hantavirus. The vessel reportedly arrived near Tristan da Cunha between April 13 and 15. The patient later showed symptoms consistent with hantavirus on April 28, though his condition is currently stable and he is in isolation.
The Ministry of Defence stated that severe oxygen shortages on the island made an air-based rescue the only viable option to deliver timely medical support.
Tristan da Cunha, located between South Africa and South America, is home to around 200 residents and is considered the most remote inhabited island in the world. Its nearest inhabited neighbor, St Helena, is approximately 2,400 km away, requiring around six days of sea travel. The island has no airstrip, and access is typically only possible by sea, with very limited medical facilities and usually just a two-person medical team.
Earlier on May 7, testing kits were also delivered to Ascension Island by military aircraft, where another British national from the same cruise ship was later transferred to South Africa for treatment.
Brigadier Ed Cartwright of the 16 Air Assault Brigade said the arrival of troops, doctors, and supplies from the air would have provided crucial relief and reassurance to island residents.
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