CLINTON, S.C. (WSPA) – A life-saving helicopter is flying over Laurens County thanks to a new air medical base in Clinton. LifeNet 7 and Prisma Health held a joint “helicopter unveiling” event at Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital to let residents take a look at the new helicopter.
According to officials, the helicopter transports emergency and accident victims to hospitals that may be experiencing heart attacks, strokes, or traumatic injuries from car accidents.
“This helicopter is a crucial resource for people in this area,” said Patrick Lamontagne, account executive with Air Methods, the parent company of LifeNet and the leading air medical provider in the United States. “Thanks to our fast response times and the exceptional skills of our flight nurses and paramedics, lives will be saved. We are thankful for the opportunity to support our community in this way.”
The EC130 T2 helicopter is known for its efficiency and safety. With blood stocked on board the helicopter, the fully staffed crew of industry-leading trauma clinicians can administer it to patients in flight when there is a risk of severe blood loss and hemorrhagic shock.
With the new base near the hospital, this asset ensures residents have access to superior air medical services with quicker response times for emergency and trauma situations. The helicopter can transport patients from the field and also quickly carry patients between hospitals for different levels of care as needed.
“LifeNet is a strong partner for Prisma Heath, in part because they care about patients as much as we do,” said Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital’s Justin Benfield, “Having this aircraft right in our community means patients can get to the right level of care as quickly as possible, and that can make the difference between life and death in some cases.”
The LifeNet 7 base opened on March 1, adding to the already established LifeNet program serving South Carolina with bases in Pickens, Camden, and Orangeburg, further expanding access to emergency medical care for patients in rural areas.
