Cornwall Air Ambulance was tasked to 525 missions in the first six months of 2024.

New figures revealed by the charity show that 212 of those were trauma incidents, 162 were medical related incidents, 141 were cardiac arrests and 10 inter-hospital transfers were also carried out.

It comes after the charity reported its busiest May on record, with 117 call outs over the course of the month. That is a rise in taskings of almost 20% compared to the same month in 2023.

June also saw a rise in mission numbers, with 105 taskings. That is a rise of 28% compared to the 82 call outs in June last year.

Cornwall Air Ambulance is anticipating demand to rise further following a considerable increase in recent mission figures and with the busiest summer months still ahead.

Adam Smith, unit chief pilot, said: “We know that the summer period is always our busiest time of year, and we’re expecting our mission numbers to rise further as the population of our county increases.

“This puts extreme demand on our helicopter. More flying hours means more wear-and-tear and more maintenance. Owning a second AW169 aircraft will ensure that when online, our crew will always be able respond on the most capable helicopter, even during those times of planned or unplanned maintenance, we will have a state-of-the-art aircraft ready and available. That will make a huge difference to our operation, boosting the resilience and availability of our service.”

The Heli2 Appeal, which is aiming to secure a second helicopter by the end of the year, is currently at just over £1million of the £2.85million target. With a long way to go by the end of the year, the charity is encouraging people to play their part in the mission to help save more lives across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Tim Bunting, chief executive, said: “We are incredibly grateful to every single person who donates to the charity, whether that be through a cake sale, a skydive, through our lottery or to putting your spare change in the pot at your local petrol station, every penny really does make a lifesaving difference.

“We’re calling on the people of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, and beyond to help us land your second helicopter. We want to ensure that we can always respond to you, your friends, family or loved ones, on the best suited helicopter, should they ever need us. Thank you for your support.”