At 1pm on this stormy day, Rega specialists, BDG employees, and volunteers met at the Lengenfelder base station. The workers boarded the chairlift with a sense of dread, as they knew what lie ahead.

After just a few mintues, the chairlift stopped, and the exercise began in earnest. The Rega helicopter was ready to go, staffed with rescue specialists who could save the stranded chairlift passengers. The helicopter approached and rescuers used a rope to attach the passengers in groups of two. Load by load, they were flown to safety below.

Rega is the Swiss Air Rescue group which provides emergency air services for those in need. This refers to both human and bovine victims, and the services are a must for local farmers. While not an insurance policy, it can decide to waive service costs for patrons whose rescue missions aren’t covered by another accident or health insurance. A family membership costs 70 CHF annually. www.rega.ch