In order to cure a British citizen afflicted with the rat-borne hantavirus, eight members of the British Army undertook the risky task of parachuting onto the most isolated inhabited island in the world.
In order to treat the British citizen who had disembarked from the cruise liner MV Hondius onto the island where they reside, a specialised team parachuted onto the British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha.
Due to the lack of an airstrip, six paratroopers, an RAF consultant, and an Army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade had to be airdropped onto the island in the South Atlantic.
According to the commander of the Brigade, in order to avoid the powerful gusts that would have carried them past the island and into the Atlantic Ocean, the soldiers would have had to turn directly against the wind as soon as they sprang.
The isolated island is home to a massive shield volcano that rises 2,062 meters above sea level and is still thought to be active after an underwater eruption in 2004.
The troops encountered additional difficulty after passing through the cloud since the drop zone was a rock-covered golf course.
After a successful descent, they are now securely on the island and assigned to treat a patient who may have the deadly hantavirus.
An RAF A400 carrying British Army paratroopers gets ready to drop supplies and medical assistance into the isolated Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha.
Airdropping medical supplies onto the isolated British overseas colony in the South Atlantic
With only 221 residents, Tristan da Cunha’s sole hospital employs four nurses and two physicians.
Additionally, medical supplies and oxygen were airdropped from the aircraft onto the island, which is typically only reachable by boat.
This mission is the first time that medical supplies and military personnel have been transported to the island via parachute.
Supported by an RAF Voyager, an RAF A400M transport aircraft travelled from RAF Brize Norton to Ascension Island before making its way to Tristan da Cunha.
The commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, Brigadier Ed Cartwright, stated that it took “7,000 miles and about 56 hours” from the time assistance was sought to “having those parachutists and those medical stores on the ground.”
“No air strip, high winds, very difficult to reach, and over a week for a boat, and the patient, as I understand, was on oxygen, and that oxygen supply was running out – so we had very few options,” he said to Sky News. “I think the soldiers will have had a great time, but it’s pretty risky. Parachuting has some inherent dangers.” The parachutists I spoke with said it was a “pretty tasty jump,” and the gusts were fairly high.
“After exiting the aeroplane, they would have had to turn directly into the wind to avoid being carried beyond the island and into the Atlantic. They would then have had a very challenging descent through the cloud and onto the drop zone, which was a rock-covered golf course.
There is a “plan to get them back,” according to the Army commander.
“Some ships are being moved, and some additional medical support is being prepared, so we’ll be able to extract them safely in due course,” he continued.
It was a “really long distance to get here from Colchester where we’re based,” according to Captain George Lacey, second in charge of the British Army’s Pathfinders.
Additionally, the aircraft airdropped medical supplies and oxygen into the island.
“We donned our parachutes and exited the aircraft into some relatively tricky conditions, I have to admit,” he said to Sky News while speaking from Tristan da Cunha. However, we are prepared for that kind of mission. The guys have hundreds of jumps, and we train year-round to be ready for just this kind of scenario, which is our main focus.
“This is a dream mission for us, and the guys are highly trained.”
“The islanders were obviously very happy to see us,” he continued. They have taken care of us and welcomed us with open arms.
It was the first time medical personnel had been parachuted in to offer humanitarian assistance, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The protection of “all members of the British family” is the main priority, according to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
“We will continue to work closely with international authorities and the Tristan da Cunha administration, keeping those affected informed and ensuring the right support is in place in the UK and across the overseas territories,” she stated.
Three more medical personnel also reached St Helena, another isolated island in the Atlantic Ocean that is part of British foreign territory, on Saturday.
On April 24, the MV Hondius stopped in St Helena, where a man passed away upon arrival.
The island’s government declared that two laboratory scientists, two members of the Ministry of Defence, and an expert in infection prevention and control had been sent to the island.
“The arrival of additional personnel and equipment on St Helena does not change the current position,” the St. Helena government said in a statement.
“It is a matter of reassurance rather than cause for concern.” There are no suspected cases or sick individuals on the island.
We continue to believe that there is very little risk to the larger community.
“Given the possible medical ramifications, should a case be confirmed, we continue to plan with an abundance of caution, as we have stated throughout.”
For the first time in history, locals observe from the ground as a military member parachutes onto the island.
at the meantime, travellers on the MV Hondius eventually disembarked at Tenerife and headed home 7,000 kilometres distant in the North Atlantic.
Before boarding a repatriation flight to Manchester Airport, British travellers underwent a hantavirus test.
They have now returned to the UK and are being isolated in Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral in Merseyside, which served as the country’s first Covid quarantine site.
The risk to the public “remains very low,” according to the UKHSA.
As a precaution, the passengers will be kept apart from the hospital’s public areas in an accommodation block on the Arrowe Park campus while they undergo clinical evaluations and tests.
When the Covid epidemic began in January 2020, British nationals returning from Wuhan, China, were housed in the hospital.
Before boarding the trip, the 20 British passengers, one German national who resides in the UK, and one Japanese passenger underwent a hantavirus test.
They are currently being isolated in Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral in Merseyside, which is the first Covid quarantine site in the United Kingdom.
According to emergency services, the passengers may be held in the “managed setting” for up to 72 hours.
“People should continue to come forward for care as usual,” they continued, adding that the NHS Trust and hospital are “operating as normal” with no risk to patients, guests, or employees.
Public health experts will determine whether travellers can isolate at home or at another appropriate location after their isolation, depending on their living arrangements.
After that, they will be prohibited from using public transport to get home and will remain in self-isolation for 45 days.
Strict infection control procedures were implemented during the trip, according to the UKHSA, and all passengers, staff, drivers, and medical personnel wore the required personal protective equipment, including face masks.
They stated that throughout the 72-hour period in Arrowe Park, infectious disease professionals from the NHS and public health specialists from UKHSA will evaluate the passengers’ current status and decide where they can be appropriately isolated.
Passengers will then be in daily communication with UKHSA health protection experts during their isolation period to check on their well-being and make sure they are assisted to isolate securely.
The UK government will make sure that those who are isolating themselves receive the necessary assistance.
“We are happy to confirm that all British nationals onboard the MV Hondius have now safely returned to the UK and are being supported by UKHSA and NHS medical experts at Arrowe Park, who have worked at pace to prepare for the safe arrival of passengers at the facility,” stated Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Officer at UKHSA.
“We are extremely appreciative of the Arrowe Park staff’s dedication and professionalism in responding quickly to a health emergency.”We have collaborated closely with international partners and government agencies like FCDO, DHSC, MHCLG, and MOD throughout this crisis to ensure the safe return of British travellers. We continue to put those passengers’ safety and well-being first.
“The general public’s risk is still extremely low.”
A jet lands at Manchester Airport carrying British people who were deported from the cruise liner MV Hondius, which was impacted by a hantavirus outbreak.
After being impacted by a hantavirus outbreak in Tenerife, the cruise liner MV Hondius arrives at the dock on Sunday.
“I want to thank all those who have worked to bring our British nationals home and the NHS workers now caring for them at Arrowe Park Hospital—their dedication and professionalism show our NHS at its very best,” stated Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson.As part of a precautionary isolation period, none of the passengers have any symptoms, but we will keep a close eye on them for the next 72 hours in the hospital. “With no cases or symptoms among them and both our stringent monitoring and isolation measures, the risk to the public remains extremely low.”
The World Health Organization reported on Saturday that no passengers on the ship had any symptoms.
According to the UN health agency, four individuals were presently in the hospital and there had been six confirmed hantavirus cases connected to the MV Hondius.
It further stated that eight cases, including three fatalities, had been reported, with one previously suspected case being reclassified after a hantavirus test came back negative.
While the third British national on Tristan da Cunha was receiving medical care on the isolated South Atlantic island, the two confirmed British cases are in hospitals in South Africa and the Netherlands.
In a letter to employees, Janelle Holmes, chief executive of Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, stated: “We have been asked by NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to house the guests, recognising how quickly and positively we responded to and supported the repatriation of British nationals from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
“All guests will be screened for symptoms prior to arrival on Sunday, May 10, 2026; those who exhibit any symptoms will not be transferred here.” “If anyone becomes unwell after arrival, they will be transferred quickly to another facility.”
The passengers will be kept in a “managed setting” for up to 72 hours, according to emergency services in the northwest of England.
Based on their living arrangements, public health experts will then determine whether they can isolate at home or at another appropriate location.
For 45 days, British citizens returning to the UK will be placed in self-isolation and prohibited from using public transport to get home.
