Three people died and two more were hospitalized after a medical helicopter crashed off the coast of Catalina Island on Wednesday night.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it dispatched helicopters and divers at around 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday, shortly after receiving the initial reports of the crash. Five people were aboard the flight, which was transporting a woman seeking additional medical treatment on the mainland, according to LA County Fire.
Rescue crews found four of the passengers immediately after the crash.
The pilot and a nurse were declared dead at the scene, according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department. The two others, a medic and another man, were flown to the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA.
Recovery crews located the final person’s body, the patient seeking further medical treatment, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The U.S. Coast Guard, LA County Fire and the LA County Sheriff’s Department spent nearly 24 hours searching for the woman and the wreckage.
During a news conference earlier on Thursday, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said dive teams located the helicopter resting on the ocean floor, 218 feet below sea level. Shortly after, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said crews were not sure if the woman’s body was still in the helicopter. He added that divers were hoping to find the woman alive but that it was “highly unlikely.”
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate what caused the crash and said the helicopter that went down was a Eurocopter EC 135 P2.
The helicopter belonged to Reach Air Medical Services, according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department.
Flight tracking data showed a Reach Air Medical Services helicopter taking off from Oceanside in San Diego County at 6:40 p.m. and landing on Catalina Island at 7:04 p.m.
LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn said she is heartbroken for the families of the people who lost their lives in the crash.
“The people onboard this helicopter dedicated their careers to saving lives,” Hahn wrote in a statement. “They are heroes, and this is a terrible loss not just for Catalina but for our County.”
A Reach spokesperson said the company was grieving the loss of their colleagues and offered their condolences to their families on Thursday.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic helicopter accident involving a REACH Air Medical Services aircraft. This is an incredibly difficult situation, and our hearts are with everyone affected by this tragedy,” the spokesperson wrote.
