The Background
In late October of 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused the deaths of thousands of people in Central America. Small towns and villages were cut off from road transport and a sufficient number of helicopters to ferry in supplies were not available in the critical period after the storm subsided.
It was this event that inspired Air First Aid.
More recently the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, 26 December ’04, a natural disaster on a much greater scale, has graphically underlined the need for immediate aerial delivery of aid to affected areas.
Air First Aid could have made immediate delivery of water, food and medical supplies along with a portable satellite communications network. As well, many injured could have been transported to triage stations. In fact there are many applications of this simple technology that could greatly aid in relief efforts worldwide at a fraction of the cost of existing airlift enterprises.
Perhaps many lives could have been saved.
