Overview

• The emergency began on August 1 when a 36-year-old man in Kaiserslautern fell into critical condition after a rattlesnake bite and local fire services requested antivenom support
• Munich’s Klinikum Rechts der Isar was identified as the only hospital with the required antivenom nearly 400 km from Kaiserslautern
• Severe weather grounded the primary intensive care helicopter Christoph München, prompting Munich’s control center to query all available rescue helicopters in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg
• The Rettungshubschrauber Christoph 11 was routed through Villingen-Schwenningen to Stuttgart airport for a handoff to ground transport
• The antivenom reached Kaiserslautern by around 8 a.m. and was administered immediately, stabilizing the patient’s condition