Bali, Indonesia (22.4.26) – A critical emergency airlift has been successfully completed in a remote region of Sumba, marking the first official mission for the FINNS-supported Search & Rescue (SGI) helicopter initiative.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening, when two international travellers sustained serious injuries following an accident in a remote part of the island. One patient suffered head trauma, while the other sustained a significant leg fracture.
With limited access to emergency medical infrastructure in the region and initial attempts to arrange alternative evacuation unsuccessful, the local resort contacted SGI on Monday.
Within one hour of the request, the FINNS Search & Rescue helicopter was mobilised from Bali, with a full response team including two pilots, a load master, mechanic and an emergency doctor from Nusa Medica.
Due to night flying restrictions in Indonesia, the team staged overnight in Bima before continuing early the following morning to Sumba.
The operation involved multiple retrieval points, including a landing at a football field adjacent to a regional hospital, before continuing to a coastal resort location to evacuate the second patient.
Both patients were stabilised and transported back via Bima for refuelling, before returning safely to Bali where they were transferred by Nusa Medica ambulance to BIMC Hospital in Nusa Dua for further treatment.
This mission underscores the significant challenges associated with emergency response in remote regions of Indonesia, where access to urgent medical care can be limited and response times via traditional transport can extend to several hours.
“This is exactly why this capability exists”
A spokesperson for FINNS said the mission highlights the importance of rapid-response infrastructure across the region.
“This is exactly why this capability exists. In more remote parts of Indonesia, access to urgent medical care is not always immediate, and time becomes a critical factor.
Seeing the team mobilise quickly and execute a complex, multi-location retrieval safely reinforces how important it is to have this level of response available.”
“A coordinated, time-critical operation”
An SGI representative added that the rescue required careful coordination across multiple locations under challenging conditions.
“This was a time-critical operation carried out across remote terrain with limited infrastructure and aviation constraints.
The focus was on ensuring both patients received urgent care as quickly and safely as possible.
Without rapid-response capability, situations like this can take significantly longer to resolve, which can directly impact patient outcomes.”
Building Emergency Response Capability in Remote Indonesia
This first successful mission represents a key milestone for the FINNS-supported Search & Rescue initiative, which has been established to provide rapid emergency response across Indonesia’s more remote and hard-to-access regions.
As travel continues to expand beyond Bali into destinations such as Sumba, the need for reliable and immediate emergency support becomes increasingly important.
Emergency Contact Information
For emergency response support or to contact the Search & Rescue team: BASARNAS HOTLINE 115
For more information visit our website https://finnssearchandrescue.com/about-us/