On August 10, a medical helicopter from the Dartmouth Hitchcock Advanced Response Team landed on the soccer fields behind Dover High School, using the grass strip along Bellamy Road as an impromptu landing zone.
Why the field was chosen
The site was selected because it lies closest to the Dover Emergency Room at 10 Central Avenue, allowing the child to be moved from the local hospital to a specialized facility in the shortest possible time.
Dover Fire & Rescue personnel secured the perimeter, coordinated with the pilot, and escorted medical crews to the aircraft, ensuring a smooth hand‑off of the pediatric patient.
The child was then transferred to a Level 2 trauma center within the Portsmouth Regional Hospital network, a facility equipped to provide the specialized care required for his condition.
Although helicopter landings on sports fields are uncommon, the area had been assessed and was deemed safe for the operation, highlighting the collaborative readiness of air‑medical and ground emergency services.