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On 19 October, helicopters from the NATO-led ISAF force took part in a difficult operation to rescue Afghan election officials and police officers trapped in freezing conditions in remote mountains.
On 19 October, helicopters from the NATO-led ISAF force took part in a difficult operation to rescue Afghan election officials and police officers trapped in freezing conditions in remote mountains.
The workers of the Afghan Joint Election Management Board (JEMB) had been on their way to collect four ballot boxes from villages in Badakshan Province when the helicopter due to collect them was forced to make an emergency landing, leaving them stranded on October 12.
Walking in often blizzard-like conditions, the workers retrieved the ballot boxes, but it was impossible to reach them due to poor weather. Although rescue equipment was dropped to them, they began to suffer from hypothermia and their satellite telephone battery ran out of power. On the evening of October 18, a five-person specialist rescue team from the U.S.-led Coalition was parachuted in, to arrange for the recovery.
At daylight two ISAF German helicopters took off from Feyzabad, one of them carrying specialist medical equipment. At the same time an ISAF German C-160 aircraft left Kunduz, to provide an aerial communications relay back to base. At 8:20 a.m., the helicopters had located the party and set off for the return journey with the election officials, police officers, the U.S. rescuers and the four ballot boxes on board.
On the return journey the six rescued received specialist medical attention on the medevac helicopter for a variety of symptoms including hypothermia, dehydration and breathing difficulties.
On their return to Kunduz at 11:40 a.m., the workers were transferred to the ISAF hospital for a check-up, but were released the same afternoon. All six were said to be 'extremely tired'. The U.S. rescue team has returned to the Bagram Air Base.
"I am very proud of everyone involved in this rescue, in remote and tough territory," says Lieutenant General Jean-Louis Py, Commander of ISAF. "We worked closely with Coalition forces and the JEMB, and through good team work, and the excellent skills of those involved, I am very pleased this story has a happy ending. I am particularly struck by the dedication of the JEMB officials who stuck by their ballot boxes, even when things must have looked pretty desperate."
"The rescue operation was conducted under borderline flying conditions on the edge of the oxygen poor sphere," adds Colonel Hans-Jürgen Ochs, Commander of this German Operational Wing. "It was high-level flying skills combined with efficient planning and favourable meteorological conditions which led to the desired success."
The ballot boxes have now been transferred to the Kunduz counting house where counting for the Province of Badakshan can now begin.