Alpine skiing-Helicopter crew recounts smooth but complex rescue after Vonn crash

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 8 : The helicopter crew tasked with evacuating U.S. ski great Lindsey Vonn from the Olimpia delle Tofane piste described a technically demanding but smoothly executed rescue operation carried out under bright skies during Sunday’s Olympic downhill.

Vonn, 41, had surgery on a broken leg in an Italian hospital after her audacious bid to win Olympic downhill gold with a ruptured knee ligament ended in a horrific crash after 13 seconds earlier on Sunday.

A source told Reuters that she was being monitored in the intensive care unit where she could have more privacy, and stressed there was no threat to her life.

Annalisa Raffin, a winch technician from Pordenone, said the team were following the race when the emergency call arrived.

“As soon as we were activated, we left immediately — the pilot, myself, the technician and the doctor on board — and headed to the target area,” she told Reuters.

The recovery required the helicopter to remain at significant height while a prolonged winching manoeuvre was performed, making coordination between crew members critical.

“It’s all about coordinating movements and the helicopter’s positioning to reach the target in the most accurate way possible,” Raffin said.

“Once we reached the athlete, she was secured to the winch, recovered and transported back to the medical base.”

She added that the crew receives only coded information on severity during activation and is not informed of the patient’s medical condition. 

Vonn was fully covered on a winch stretcher during the extraction to protect her against wind and cold air generated by the helicopter’s rotors.

OPTIMAL CONDITIONS

Pilot Roberto Cit of Belluno described the day as “truly special,” noting that clear, sunny