2 killed, 2 others injured as helicopter crashes off California's Catalina Island
Two people were killed, and two others injured after the crash of a medical helicopter off California’s Catalina Island near Los Angeles as rescuers continued searching on Thursday for a fifth person who remained missing after the aircraft went down in the water, the Associated Press reported.
The helicopter crashed shortly after taking off from the island on Wednesday night, striking the water a short distance from shore, Coast Guard Captain Stacey Crecy said.
The aircraft was transporting a patient to the mainland for additional medical care, although authorities did not immediately provide details about the patient or the medical transport.
Emergency crews were alerted to the crash shortly before 8 pm (local time) on Wednesday.
Firefighters on Catalina Island quickly reached the site by boat, while the Coast Guard, area firefighters and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department divers joined the overnight search and rescue operation.
Four people were pulled from the water following the crash. Two were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two were taken to hospitals on the mainland in stable condition, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Authorities were still working to identify those who died.
The search for the fifth person continued on Thursday. Crecy said divers and a remotely operated vehicle would examine more of the wreckage as rescuers worked to determine the location and condition of the submerged aircraft.
The helicopter was reported to be lying in about 240 feet (73 meters) of water off Catalina Island.
"We're still doing an active search for the person who’s missing and then, in addition to that, the divers and the remote-operated vehicle are going to get a look at more of the wreckage and, hopefully, if there’s a sunken fuselage we’re hoping to get a better picture of that this morning," AP quotes Crecy as saying.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC-135-P2. The cause of the accident had not been determined.
The helicopter was believed to have been operated by REACH Air Medical Services, based in Sacramento, California, according to KTLA-TV.
Its parent company, Global Medical Response, said it was aware of the accident and was gathering information, while it did not immediately provide further comment.
Authorities are expected to continue the underwater search and recovery effort as investigators examine the wreckage and circumstances surrounding the crash.- EndsWith agency inputs
