Two people have died, two others were hospitalized and a fifth person remains missing after a REACH Air Medical Services helicopter crashed into the Pacific Ocean shortly after taking off from California’s Catalina Island.
The medical helicopter was carrying five people and was transporting a patient from the island to the mainland for additional medical care when it went down near Avalon on Wednesday night, September 30.
The latest update marks a major change from the first hours after the crash, when authorities were still trying to determine the condition of everyone aboard.
Two killed as search continues for fifth person
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said emergency crews were dispatched at about 7:53 p.m. after reports of a helicopter going down in the water near Catalina Island.
Four people were eventually recovered from the ocean. Two were pronounced dead at the scene, while two survivors were transported to hospitals on the mainland.
Officials said the two hospitalized survivors were in stable condition in the initial update, while search teams continued looking for the fifth person who had been aboard the aircraft.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, officials said the helicopter was carrying a medical crew and a patient when it crashed while heading toward the mainland.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said shortly after the accident:
“Search and rescue operations are underway and I am praying for everyone who was on board.”
The U.S. Coast Guard, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, county firefighters, lifeguards and Avalon Fire Department were all involved in the response.
Coast Guard officials said firefighters on Catalina were able to reach the crash area quickly by boat, while a diverted Coast Guard helicopter arrived roughly 10 to 15 minutes later.
Helicopter was carrying a patient when it crashed
Authorities have now confirmed an important detail that was unclear during the first hours of the emergency: the REACH aircraft was conducting a medical transport from Catalina Island to the mainland.
Coast Guard Capt. Stacey Crecy said officials believed the aircraft was transporting someone off the island for additional medical treatment on the mainland.
The National Transportation Safety Board identified the helicopter as a Eurocopter EC-135-P2 and has opened an investigation into the accident.
Flight-tracking information cited by local media showed the REACH helicopter leaving Oceanside in San Diego County at approximately 6:40 p.m. and landing on Catalina Island at about 7:04 p.m..
It later departed Catalina before crashing shortly after takeoff.
Separate flight data cited in reports indicated the helicopter left the Avalon area at approximately 7:46 p.m. and climbed only a short distance before disappearing from normal tracking. Investigators have not yet said whether that data accurately represents the aircraft’s final movements, so the precise sequence remains under investigation.
The helicopter wreckage is believed to be resting approximately 240 feet beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, complicating recovery efforts.
Search teams deployed boats, helicopters, divers and underwater equipment as operations continued into Thursday.
REACH Air Medical Services confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved and said in an earlier statement:
“Our immediate concern is for the well-being of those involved.”
The company’s parent organization, Global Medical Response, said it was gathering information and cooperating with authorities.
Officials have not publicly identified the people killed or the missing person as of the latest update. Authorities are working to formally identify those involved and notify their families.
The cause of the crash also remains unknown. Investigators have not linked the accident to weather, mechanical failure, pilot actions or any other specific factor.
The NTSB is expected to examine the wreckage, flight information, maintenance records and other evidence once recovery operations allow investigators access to the aircraft.
The Catalina crash comes amid renewed attention on helicopter safety following other recent aviation accidents, including a separate helicopter crash that killed a Zimbabwean businessman and his wife. The incidents are unrelated.
Latest status: Two people are confirmed dead, two survivors have been hospitalized, and rescuers are continuing to search for the fifth person who was aboard the medical helicopter.
This is a developing story and will be updated as authorities release additional confirmed information.
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