RED CROSS: A Record-Breaking Easter

Easter holidayEaster holiday.Photo: Erik Johansen / NTB scanpix

 

It’s been a record-breaking Easter season for the Red Cross. The Norwegian Red Cross Assistance Corps (RC) reports that it fielded 987 action calls during Easter, the highest number of seasonal requests for assistance since 2008, and only the third time the Red Cross has received more than 900 calls within a single season.

 

By comparison, 2017’s Easter season saw unseasonably warm temperatures & mild snowfalls, thus generating only half the calls for Red Cross assistance.

Sven Bruun, senior adviser for the Norwegian Directorate of Health and also a volunteer for the Norwegian Red Cross Assistance Corps commented upon this Easter’s record-setting season, saying; ‘We’ve set a new record in “fetch requests’ (Henteoppdrag), seeing one third of all calls for this type of needed assistance.’

TWO DEATHS
According to latest season totals, the Red Cross responded to 2 serious calls within the last 24 hours: one reported death in Lofotem and another death in northern Norway where avalanche risk has been greatest. A more minor alpine accident involving a young girl was seen Sunday afternoon in Rogaland.

To date, this Easter the Red Cross has seen 987 calls, with 338 retrievals, 26 search missions and 12 assignments.

The rescue organization Norwegian People’s Aid also reports of a hectic Easter season, with a total of 95 missions (almost doubling 2017’s calls for help), mostly from unfortunate, injured skiers.

The Norwegian Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps (NRKH), founded 1932, primarily assists in search and rescue operations. All membership is voluntary.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today