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Rescues the rescuer

The Russian Mi-26 helicopter rescues the Norwegian Sea King helicopter. Photo: Forsvaret 330 Skvadronen

That’s what friends are for: A Russian mega-helicopter was Sunday used to lift home a Norwegian rescue helicopter that crash-landed at a mountain in northern Norway two weeks ago.

Location

Norway’s Sea King helicopter was on a rescue mission on December 11 when it had a bit too hard emergency landing on the 840 meter high mountain Divgagáisá in Finnmark. 

The helicopter was not seriously damaged, but its condition was considered to be too bad for possible take-off again. Also, the top of a mountain in the high north of Norway is not the place you want to do repair work on the hull of a helicopter with winter snow-storms and nearly 24 hours Arctic darkness.

The solution was to call on Russia to send over its Mi-26 from Arkhangelsk. The helicopter is the largest commercial available for heavy-weight lifting operations. It can lift up to 20 tons. 

Sunday morning, the Norwegian Sea King helicopter was safely lifted down from the mountain to its home-base at Banak airport in Lakselv in Finnmark. The helicopter will be repaired during Christmas so it again can be on duty for rescue operations in northern Norway or in the Norwegian- and Barents Seas.