Girl loses consciousness, waits an hour for help as Zlarin helipad remains unusable

A critical medical emergency on the Croatian island of Zlarin was significantly delayed because the island's helipad is unusable, forcing a medical helicopter to circle for 20 minutes before landing on a crowded beach. The incident involved a young woman who suddenly lost consciousness. Her mother described the terrifying moments, stating her daughter showed no signs of life and had a very low pulse. Emergency services dispatched a helicopter, but it could not land at the designated helipad due to it being obstructed by construction waste and garbage. The helicopter circled for about 20 minutes while rescuers cleared a section of the beach, which was occupied by numerous sunbathers and their equipment. Firefighters then transported the medical personnel to the family's home. The entire process, from the initial call to the arrival of medical help at the patient's side, took approximately one hour, instead of the expected ten minutes if the helipad had been functional. The young woman received first aid and was subsequently transported to the Clinical Hospital Center Split, where she was diagnosed with syncope and released for home care the same day. This marks the third time during the current tourist season that a medical evacuation has been complicated by the helipad's condition, according to the Zlarin Volunteer Fire Department. The helipad was intended to facilitate rapid medical intervention and save lives, but its current state renders it useless. The City of Šibenik has stated it is not responsible for the helipad's maintenance, as the land was leased to the former Health Center Šibenik by the Šibenik Diocese for 30 years. The city claims it lacks ownership or management authority over the location, and the organization of emergency medical services, including helipad usage, falls under the jurisdiction of the Institute for Emergency Medicine and other relevant bodies.

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My daughter lost consciousness yesterday, suddenly lost consciousness, showed no signs of life, and her pulse was very low. We immediately called emergency services. They sent a helicopter to Zlarin which had nowhere to land. It circled for about twenty minutes while the beach, where there were numerous bathers with equipment, was being cleared. Then the firefighters went to get the medical personnel and brought them to our house and my daughter, who was still unconscious. So, it took about an hour, instead of ten minutes, which would have been the case if the helipad was clean and the helicopter could have landed normally.