Four people are dead after a medical helicopter crashed on its way to a California hospital.
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The four victims were the pilot, a nurse, a paramedic and a patient, the station said, citing local emergency officials.
Valeri said Juarez and Lopez, who had been with the company for nine and three years, respectively, were impressive men, dedicated to what they did.
Valeri said at a press conference: ‘We have a gather of our- we call it the SkyLife family. “(He was) incredibly dedicated, loved by his coworkers”.
But it wasn’t clear what role weather played in the crash.
About 7:05 p.m., dispatch tried to raise the helicopter for a routine check in, but got no response.
Nothing is known yet about what caused the crash in a rural area of mostly orchards near Sherwood Avenue and Highway 65, north of Bakersfield.
Lynch said the discovery was likely as painful for Kern County fire and sheriff’s personnel as it was for American Ambulance staff, since they would have met the air crew at to crashes and other medical emergencies requiring air transport.
SkyLife Air Ambulance is a partnership between American Ambulance and Roger’s Helicopters which provides air medical transportation for critically ill trauma and medical patients, according to its website. After checking with airport towers in Fresno and Bakersfield, the dispatch center notified Kern County authorities that the aircraft was missing and provided its last Global Positioning System reading east of McFarland.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the company that was operating the helicopter reported the aircraft was overdue, according to KFSN-TV in Fresno.
The helicopter was staffed by a “seasoned crew”, Lynch said.
Medical flights have repeatedly drawn safety scrutiny, including a 1988 NTSB study that found a need for safety improvements.
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The study also noted that more than half of the accidents occurred when no patient was aboard and the flights could operate under less stringent rules.
