LONDON — Britain's Prince William has completed his first mission as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter co-pilot, plucking a stricken worker from an offshore gas rig, his office said Tuesday.
The 28-year-old, who is second-in-line to the British throne, was among the crew of a Sea King helicopter called to a rig in Morecambe Bay, off the coast of northwestern England, on Saturday.
William's office said the crew flew through "squally winds" and mild turbulence to collect the rig worker, who had a suspected heart attack, and transport him to a waiting ambulance.
"Prince William is pleased finally to be able to contribute to the lifesaving work of the search-and-rescue force. He is proud, after two years of intense training, to be able to serve in one of Britain's foremost emergency services," his office said in a statement.