Second rescue mission in one day. Polish naval aviation responds again over the Baltic
On 18 May, the crew of a W-3WARM rescue helicopter from the Polish Naval Aviation Brigade (BLMW) carried out another SAR operation over the Baltic Sea, evacuating a passenger from a ferry operating offshore who required urgent medical assistance.
In brief
The crew of a W-3WARM helicopter from the Naval Aviation Brigade evacuated a passenger requiring urgent medical transport from a ferry on the Baltic Sea on 18 May. The 18 May operation was the second mission of the same day, a few hours after a night Medevac conducted with surface units. The mission was the 12th rescue intervention by naval aviators in 2026. The Naval Aviation Brigade is the only aviation formation in Poland maintaining round-the-clock SAR and ASAR duty over the sea.
The mission marked the second rescue operation conducted by Polish naval aviators on the same day. Earlier, the same duty crews were involved in a nighttime MEDEVAC mission carried out in coordination with surface rescue assets and maritime emergency services.
Two emergency callouts within hours
Sunday’s back-to-back operations once again demonstrated the operational readiness of the Naval Aviation Brigade’s SAR component. The second mission required rapid deployment to a passenger vessel at sea and the safe extraction of an individual in need of immediate medical transport.
For the on-duty crew, it meant another immediate scramble under established SAR procedures, highlighting the importance of reaction time in offshore rescue scenarios.
Twelfth SAR mission this year
The 18 May operation was already the 12th rescue mission involving Polish naval aviators in 2026, underlining the intensity of operational demand faced by maritime air rescue units.
The Polish Naval Aviation Brigade remains the only aviation formation in Poland maintaining continuous 24/7 readiness for airborne rescue operations over national maritime areas. Its crews on SAR and ASAR duty remain permanently prepared to respond wherever time-critical intervention is required.
A critical asset for Baltic maritime safety
Two rescue missions completed within a single day once again confirmed the strategic importance of naval aviation in Poland’s maritime safety architecture.
While surface units remain essential in offshore emergency response, rotary-wing assets operated by BLMW continue to serve as a critical rapid-response capability for medical evacuations, search and rescue missions, and life-saving interventions across the Baltic Sea.
Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier
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