Arctic warfare training: Royal Navy medics, marines and mountain rescues in Norway
Royal Navy medics have teamed up with the Norwegian emergency services to practise lifesaving avalanche rescues in the Arctic Circle.
Medics from Plymouth-based 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group took part in the training, which simulated an emergency response to an avalanche in Norway's Helligskogen mountains, near the Swedish border.
Operating in extreme cold, they worked alongside Norwegian armed forces, police and search and rescue teams, as well as air ambulance crews, to locate and treat casualties buried under the snow.
The training tested their ability to respond quickly in harsh conditions, where the risk of hypothermia and cardiac arrest is high.
"I have taken part in multiple medical scenarios in the past few years, but nothing has compared to this exercise," said Medical Assistant Madelaine Wilson, of 30 Commando's Medical Section.
"It was very beneficial for all parties involved.
"The use of Norwegian services especially the air ambulance, really made the exercise feel realistic and highlighted the importance of cohesion and good communication within the team, throughout the exercise."
The exercise was part of Winter Deployment 25, which sees nearly 2,000 UK Commando Force personnel training in Northern Norway.
30 Commando's Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron Group (SRS) – an elite unit of Royal Marines Mountain Leaders – searched the avalanche site before medics arrived.
SRS are specialists in Arctic and mountain warfare, trained to operate ahead of the main force in some of the world's toughest environments.
With limited visibility and worsening weather, four 'casualties' were located, triaged, and treated before being evacuated to the nearest hospital.
The training is designed to ensure UK forces can operate effectively in the High North, a region of growing strategic importance.
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