Sheriff divers recovered the body of a missing patient from a medical helicopter wreckage off Catalina Island near Los Angeles on Thursday. This discovery raised the fatal incident’s death toll to three people, while two survivors recovered from their injuries.
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Verify & Continue ReadingDivers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department located the victim inside the submerged aircraft. The helicopter rested approximately 200 feet deep in the Pacific Ocean following a search spanning more than 156 square miles over 23 hours, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. First responders previously rescued four passengers from the water shortly after emergency personnel received calls about the crash before 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Two individuals died at the scene, and two survivors were transported in stable condition to mainland hospitals.
Details of the Flight and Rescue Operation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC 135 P2 operated by REACH Air Medical Services. It was transporting a female patient seeking additional medical treatment on the mainland. Relatives told local media that the patient was being transferred after experiencing a severe allergic reaction. Her 20-year-old son accompanied her to act as a language interpreter.
Flight tracking data indicated that the REACH Air Medical Services helicopter took off from Oceanside in San Diego County at 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday and landed on Catalina Island at 7:04 p.m. The crash occurred shortly after the return takeoff.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone stated during a news conference that dive teams located the helicopter resting on the ocean floor, 218 feet below sea level. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed that the two individuals who died at the scene included the male pilot and a female nurse. The LA County Medical Examiner identified the nurse as 48-year-old Jessica Devries.
The two survivors-identified as a medic and the patient’s son-were flown to the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA for treatment.
Ongoing Investigation and Local Impact
The NTSB launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash. Crews plan to recover the aircraft and transport it to a secure facility for a comprehensive evaluation.
Community leaders and company officials expressed profound grief over the tragedy. REACH Air Medical Services released a statement emphasizing its focus on supporting the affected families and honoring the dedicated crew members.
“The people onboard this helicopter dedicated their careers to saving lives. They are heroes, and this is a terrible loss not just for Catalina but for our County,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.
A memorial service was held on Catalina Island to honor the victims. This accident followed a string of recent aviation incidents in Southern California, including a firefighting helicopter crash in Yosemite National Park and a news helicopter crash in Los Angeles.
