FAYETTEVILLE – Cape Fear Valley Health will temporarily operate a second patient transport helicopter due to increased demand following Hurricane Florence.
The twin-engine Airbus H135 capable of flying 161 mph is on loan for 24 hours from Med-Trans Air Medical Transport, which already leases a similar helicopter to Cape Fear Valley. The second helicopter will fly patients out of Robeson County and surrounding communities through Thursday.
Brian Langston, Cape Fear Valley LifeLINK Program Director, said the second aircraft was needed due to a surge in patient medical transports to and from Cape Fear Valley this week.
Robeson County and neighboring Bladen County have been especially hard hit with historic flooding, road closures and power outages in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
“We normally average around 30 to 40 transports a month,” Langston said. “But in the past 48 hours, we’re averaging up to 15 flights a day.”
The helicopter will be based at a helipad in Robeson County. Med-Trans provided the chopper’s pilot, which will be assisted by Cape Fear Valley LifeLINK medical professionals.