Royal Navy Reaches Tristan da Cunha in Most Significant Emergency Response
Nearly two weeks after the UK organized its first-ever airdrop using a parachute jump to insert medical personnel to provide humanitarian support, HMS Medway has reached the remote island of Tristan da Cunha. The vessel was transporting additional medical personnel and supplies and was used to remove the parajump force from the island.
Tristan da Cunha Port & Tourism is referring to the operation as “one of the most significant emergency response operations ever carried out on Tristan da Cunha.”
The patrol ship, which is used to support Britain’s overseas territories, however, reached the island in very inhospitable conditions. The reports cited heavy swells and challenging conditions, making it difficult for the personnel to land on the island. A small outcrop in the Southern Atlantic, it had no large dock nor land for an airfield.
The personnel came ashore in the River class warship’s RIBs. It was unclear where the warship was coming from, but according to the locals, it will be heading to the Falkland Islands and agreed to take a small amount of outgoing mail from Tristan da Cunha after completing an exchange of personnel.
HMS Medway's launches were used to reach the island's small jetty (Post & Tourism)
The situation began earlier in May when a passenger who had disembarked on the island from the expedition cruise ship Hondius reported possible symptoms of hantavirus. Tristan da Cunha is a British overseas community of just 250 people with limited contact with the outside world.
The UK Ministry of Defence reported on May 10 that it had organized a trip starting at RAF Brize Norton and flying 6,788 km (over 4,200 miles) to Ascension Island. From there, it flew an additional over 3,000 km (over 1,800 miles) to Tristan da Cunha. Reaching the remote island, six paratroopers and two military clinicians parachuted onto Tristan da Cunha to deliver critical medical support. Vital oxygen supplies and other medical aid were also dropped.
The Post & Tourism group reports while the two medical personnel were supporting the hospital, the six paratroopers “threw themselves into island life.” They assisted the Agriculture Department with fencing, visited the school, and went on guided walks organized by Post & Tourism to experience life on the island.
HMS Medway holding offshore (Post & Tourism)
Once the weather improved, HMS Medway was able to send six civilian medics and critical supplies to the island on the launches. The crew of HMS Medway was unable to go ashore, but the Post Office & Tourism team organized packages of stamps, souvenirs, and postcards, which were sent out to the ship as a token of their appreciation.
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The Ministry of Defence reports HMS Medway will remain in the area for several days after retrieving the parachute team.
The World Health Organization issued a new update on May 25 on the impact of the hantavirus outbreak on mv Hondius. The total number of cases of the virus has risen to 12, but the death toll remains at three passengers. No additional deaths have been reported since May 2. The passengers and crew remain in quarantine in their countries, with the WHO terming the situation stable.