More Helicopters And A Tragic Death

The El Hierro rescue helicopter has been kept very busy on La Gomera since my last post. On Saturday a tragic accident occurred in Valle Gran Rey just before dark. A man in his 40's was coming from a 'fiesta' and fell about 70 yards down a steep incline. According to rumours he suffered a heart attack and subsequently fell. The helicopter was quickly on scene and found the injured in a critical condition and he was flown to the island's  brand new hospital where he died a short while later.

On Tuesday an employee of 'Cobra', the company repairing and substituting power lines 

damaged in the recent fires had a work-related accident and had to be choppered to hospital for treatment. He is said to be recovering well.

More rescue helicopter action was observed during the week, but these were comparatively minor incidents.

Helicopter action of a different kind is making headlines in the Canaries these days, as  military choppers have been flying combat style over houses and the spanish MOD have  said that the crews are training for missions in Afghanistan. Local pressure groups are outraged and call it a 'cynical act in the face of cutbacks in health and social spending'

CIVIL AVIATION NEWS 

'Islas Airways', an small airline that operates inter-island flights in the Canaries has temporarily suspended its operations to 'reorganise its operation and to review the financial situation'. This leaves 'Binter' the only airline to operate flights here.

Meanwhile 'Ryanair' has offered to step in and operate flights between the Canary Islands,

'if seven restrictions are lifted' and they said that it is 'now cheaper to fly from the Canaries to London than to fly from one island to another'.