RWE has conducted an offshore rescue exercise at its Nordsee Ost wind farm off the coast of Heligoland, putting its emergency response procedures to the test under real-world conditions. The six-hour drill involved the temporary suspension of operations and the simulation of multiple rescue scenarios involving injured technicians.
The exercise was organised in cooperation with the German Association for Maritime Emergency Management (GMN) and involved the deployment of a rescue helicopter and paramedics. Following the exercise, all participants conducted a detailed review of the procedures and outcomes.
Scenario 1: Technician injured in a wind turbine
A technician is injured while working inside a wind turbine. Colleagues trained in advanced first aid stabilise the individual and alert RWE’s maritime coordination centre. The centre contacts GMN, which dispatches a rescue helicopter from St Peter-Ording carrying two high-altitude rescuers and an emergency doctor. The team rappels down the turbine to access the injured person, who is located in the transition piece. The patient is treated on site and then winched directly into the helicopter, which transports them to the nearest hospital.
Scenario 2: Technician injured on service vessel
This scenario simulates an incident aboard a service operation vessel (SOV) operated by Olympic. A technician on board sustains an injury and is treated by an emergency doctor in the vessel’s medical room. Using telemedicine, additional remote diagnosis and specialist support are provided. The patient is then evacuated from the vessel by helicopter and flown to hospital.
