Christoph 30: 42 years of lifesaving from Wolfenbüttel in numbers!

Christoph 30: 42 years of lifesaving from Wolfenbüttel in numbers!

On July 15, 2025, the Christoph 30 rescue helicopter from Wolfenbüttel celebrated its impressive 42nd birthday. This flying lifesaver has been in operation in the region since 1983 and has proven to be indispensable. Loud regionalheute.de During this time, the crew completed over 52,500 missions, which underlines the high demand for rapid medical help in our region.

In Lower Saxony, Christoph 30 was the most frequently alerted ADAC rescue helicopter with 1,522 missions last year. This makes the helicopter the 11th most popular air rescue tool nationwide. For comparison: Christoph 26 from Sanderbusch had 1,441 missions, while Christoph 19 from Uelzen recorded 1,200 missions. However, a look at the numbers shows that Christoph 30's usage numbers show a slight decline; In 2023, 1,635 missions were carried out. The reasons for this include the expanded powers of emergency paramedics and the use of teleemergency doctors, which help to relieve the burden on the system.

The main causes of deployments

Christoph 30's missions focus primarily on cardiovascular diseases, which account for 38% of alerts. Neurological emergencies, such as strokes, account for 12%, while other emergencies such as psychiatric and obstetric calls account for another 12%. Shortness of breath situations and accidents are also reasons that often lead to the helicopter being alerted.

The rescue helicopter, also known as the “Yellow Angel”, is operated by ADAC Luftrettung on behalf of the state of Lower Saxony. The Wolfenbüttel Municipal Clinic provides the emergency doctors, while the German Red Cross provides the emergency paramedics. With an operational radius of around 70 kilometers, which extends from Magdeburg to Hanover and from Wittingen to Bad Sachsa, Christoph 30 is always ready to provide quick help.

The importance of air rescue

Air rescue is indispensable, especially because of its speed, which does not involve traffic obstacles such as potholes or red lights. The missions are not only used to transport emergency doctors and patients, but also for search flights on behalf of the police or the transport of organs and blood supplies. The need and importance of these services is also strengthened by the use of teleemergency doctors, according to ADAC air rescue has a positive effect on the regional overload of the ground-based rescue service.

In 1997 in particular, Christoph 30's existence was at risk when a popular initiative collected over 75,000 signatures to ensure its continued existence. Today Christoph 30 is much more than just a rescue helicopter - he is a symbol of hope and quick help in emergencies. Long-term tenders for the construction and operation of air rescue stations are important for the future in order to ensure stability and planning security in times of a shortage of skilled workers.

Christoph 30, the Airbus Helicopters H135, takes off during the day from sunrise to sunset and reaches top speeds of up to 220 km/h. This makes it an indispensable part of medical care in the region and keeps the hope for quick help alive.