Air Zermatt rescuers in continuous operation
Air Zermatt has had an intense few days. Over Christmas and New Year, the rescue crews were in constant use. At times, four Air Zermatt rescue helicopters were in the air at the same time. But not only the festive season was intense. Last year, the company flew more rescues than ever before.
82 helicopter rescues: This is the balance of Air Zermatt's rescue missions from Christmas Eve to and including Berchtold Day. Air Zermatt's deployment statistics reflect people's leisure behaviour and the weather conditions in the region, especially over the holidays. The rather wet and cloudy weather over the Christmas days initially provided the rescuers of Air Zermatt with quiet days. But as soon as the weather improved, the rescue crews were increasingly on duty for people in distress, injured or ill. With a total of 17 rescue missions, December 28, 2022 was the most intensive day for the air rescue company from the Valais.
2022 was a year of record
But not only the festive season was intense for the rescue crews. The year 2022 was the busiest year in the history of Air Zermatt since its foundation in 1968. Air Zermatt's helicopters were called out on over 2100 missions last year. This is almost 200 missions more than in the previous record year in 2019. Air Zermatt's ambulances were also deployed exceptionally often. The ambulance was called out over 1200 times last year, around 100 times more than in the record year 2019.
The high number of rescues is to be sought in the spring of 2022. There, the rescue crews of Air Zermatt were called to ski accidents and crevasse rescues extraordinarily often.