A dramatic air medical rescue unfolded in Shenzhen on the afternoon of October 9, when a man suffering from severe allergic shock caused by multiple wasp stings was airlifted from Longgang District's Qinglinjing Forest Park to the Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangming District — a distance of more than 40 kilometers — all within just 10 minutes.
The incident began when a citizen was attacked by a swarm of wasps, leading to dizziness, chest tightness, and severe pain. Due to the forest's challenging terrain, ground ambulances were unable to reach the site. Upon receiving the 120 emergency call, the Shenzhen Emergency Medical Center immediately assessed the situation and coordinated an air rescue with the hospital's aviation medical team and Eastern General Aviation Co., Ltd.
At 3:45 p.m., the rescue helicopter took off. By 3:56 p.m., it reached the park, and at 4:05 p.m., the patient was on board. Just 10 minutes later, at 4:15 p.m., the helicopter landed safely at the hospital, where emergency and ICU teams were on standby.
“Upon arrival, the patient was in critical condition with multiple stings and a high risk of both anaphylactic shock and laryngeal edema,” said Dr. Huang Wenfeng of the hospital's Emergency and Disaster Medicine Center. “We immediately initiated cardiac monitoring, intravenous access, blood testing, and anti-shock and anti-allergy treatments.”
According to Dr. Pei Qidong, the patient's condition stabilized overnight without further deterioration.
Professor Luo Liang, head of the ICU and the hospital's air rescue team, explained that the hospital — one of five pilot air rescue hospitals in Guangdong Province — has optimized its “ground-air” coordination system for zero-delay patient admission. In this case, the trauma team had already reviewed the patient's condition and opened a green channel before the helicopter's arrival.
The hospital's 24-hour emergency response system ensures full readiness year-round. During the recent National Day holiday, medical rescue personnel were on duty every day to respond to any emergency situations across the city.