Norwegian fighter jet drops training mission to save patient

STOCKHOLM – In an unusual life-saving mission, a Norwegian fighter jet flew to the rescue when a patient in the country’s north needed urgent help.

On April 4, a patient in Bodoe needed a machine that oxygenates blood and removes carbon dioxide but the closest one available was in Trondheim, 470 kilometres (290 miles) south.

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Hospital officials turned to the Air Force for help, and luckily two F-16 fighters in Trondheim were about to take off on a training mission.

Doctor Anders Wetting Carlsen told Trondheim paper Adresseavisen that they helped out “without any questions, besides how big the machine was.”

The paper said one of the jets transported the so-called ECMO machine to Bodoe in 25 minutes, saving the patient’s life.

Norwegian Armed Forces spokesman Brynjar Stordal confirmed the story Friday.