Hospitals
Santa Claus and superheroes bring gifts
Santa Claus in his flying sleigh brings gifts to the young patients of the children’s and youth clinic at the University Medical Center in Rostock. photo
© Bernd Wüstneck/dpa
High-altitude rescuers from the fire department are on duty as Santa Claus: in a nationwide campaign, they abseil down to clinics in costumes to bring gifts to little patients.
The small and slightly larger patients in the Rostock children’s and youth clinic have to St. Nicholas Day received a special visit from above. On Wednesday, high-altitude rescuers from the fire department rappelled down from the roof of the building dressed as Superman, Spiderman and Batman.
They supported Santa Claus, who appropriately floated in with the sleigh that was attached to a tension rope in the inner courtyard. In their luggage: a bag full of gifts for the children who had to stay in the hospital on St. Nicholas Day. The children received the gift bags directly through the windows.
There were also special missions by height rescuers for children in clinics in other cities in Germany during St. Nicholas Day. Around 60 height rescue groups are taking part in the nationwide operation, said Trier city spokesman Ernst Mettlach. In the Rhineland-Palatinate city, high-altitude rescuers from the fire department dressed as Santa Claus and angels rappelled down from the hospital roof. Normally, height rescuers are used when it comes to rescue at great heights and depths.