Pilot Herman Gunnewig, aided by a helicopter's particle separator, turned out to be the saviour for around 40 of 100 tourists stranded on the island of Hiddensee in the Baltic Sea after a severe storm struck the German federal state of Mecklenburg Western Pomerania.

Gunnewig performed seven rotations with an AS350 carrying several grateful tourists each time. The helicopter stationed at Schwerin-Pinnow is routinely used for medical evacuation and rescue missions but was called into evacuation service when the Hiddensee ferry, the only boat capable of breaking the ice, was unable to deliver provisions due to an engine failure.

Gunnewig, a pilot for FJS-Helicopter Lufttransport, was told that an icebreaker had made several unsuccessful attempts to free a pathway to the island surrounded by an ice sheet up to 40cm thick.

"Once the ferry traffic had been suspended indefinitely, only the helicopter could provide a lifeline to the island," the authorities reported. Tourists had to be evacuated to Rugen while food and medical supplies were taken by helicopter to Hiddensee.

Gunnewig says: "Navigation was no problem because we were equipped with GPS and the Moving Terrain system and we also know the terrain very well. The particle separator helped us avoid any problems due to swirling snow during takeoff and landing."

He adds: "We were able to quickly transform the helicopter into its passenger configuration. Carrying five people, which represents a load of about 500 kilograms, was no problem for a high performance machine like the Ecureuil."