The Situation Report Azores Wednesday 6th September 2023
by Chris Noble
Four people helped due to the wave in Fajã do Ouvidor
Four people had to be helped on Monday in Fajã do Ouvidor, in São Jorge, in the Azores, after allegedly being swept away by a wave, which caused serious injuries to one of the bathers.
According to a statement from the National Maritime Authority, the four people, of Slovak nationality, were “in difficulties in the water” late in the afternoon, in that area of the municipality of Velas.
Upon arrival at the scene, members of the Maritime Police found that the four people had left the water with the help of other members of the group, but it was necessary to transport them to a hospital unit. One of the people “was in a serious condition”, so he was taken to the island of São Miguel, for “differentiated care”.
The island of São Jorge has more than seven dozen fajãs – small plains next to the sea originating from landslides or lava – which have been, since 2016, a Biosphere Reserve of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, its acronym in English), and the most popular places among tourists.
Man rescued after falling on a trail on the island of São Miguel
A Dutchman aged around 30 was rescued on Saturday night in São Miguel, in the Azores, after suffering “a fall while walking on a trail in Mosteiros”, the National Maritime Authority reported today.
In a statement, the National Maritime Authority explained that the alert was received at the end of the day on Saturday, through the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of Ponta Delgada, stating that the man was “missing on a trail”.
“Searches were immediately launched by members of the Ponta Delgada Maritime Police Local Command, crew members from the Ponta Delgada Life Saving Station and Ponta Delgada Volunteer Firefighters”, reads the same statement.
The man was eventually located by the Ponta Delgada Fire Department team, who found that the victim had suffered a fall and had “an injury to one of his lower limbs”, reveals the National Maritime Authority.
After being rescued by members of the Ponta Delgada Volunteer Fire Department, the man was transported to a hospital unit.
Azores Airlines transports 1 million passengers ahead of schedule for 2023
The SATA group airline Azores Airlines surpassed “the symbolic mark of one million passengers transported in 2023, around three months before 2022 and the scheduled date for this year”.
“In 2022, Azores Airlines performed, in terms of passengers transported, well above Europe and the rest of the world, according to data from ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organization -, showing a variation of 14.5% in 2022 versus 2019 (pre-pandemic year)”, the company said in a statement.
According to the source, “contributing to this consistent increase in demand and preference was the company’s growing effort to offer more destinations and reinforce its capacity in view of 2022”.