Two killed and one missing after medical helicopter crash off Catalina
A medical helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from California’s Catalina Island, killing two people and hospitalising two others, authorities said. A fifth person remained missing, while officials reported that the aircraft was submerged in about 240 feet of water off the island, near Los Angeles County.
A medical helicopter crashed off Catalina Island near Los Angeles on Wednesday night, killing two people, hospitalising two others and leaving a fifth person missing, authorities said. Los Angeles County Fire Engineer Jonathan Torres confirmed the deaths and said two people had been transported to local hospitals. The condition of one person taken to a Los Angeles hospital was not immediately known, according to KTLA-TV.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a post on X that she had been told the helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from Catalina Island. Authorities received reports of the crash shortly before 8 p.m., KTLA reported. The US Coast Guard and local emergency services responded to the incident.
Authorities said the helicopter was submerged in about 240 feet, or 73 metres, of water off Catalina. The island is located about 22 miles, or 35 kilometres, from the mainland of Los Angeles County. The supplied material does not give the aircraft’s destination or explain what happened immediately before the crash.
The helicopter was believed to be owned by REACH Air Medical Services of Sacramento, California, according to KTLA. The source does not identify the people aboard or say whether the aircraft was carrying a patient. Officials had not located the fifth person by the time of the report.
The supplied material does not provide details about recovery operations, the cause of the crash or any investigation into the incident. The confirmed toll at the time of reporting was two dead and two hospitalised, with one person missing. Authorities’ response continued alongside efforts connected with the submerged aircraft.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.