Medical Helicopter Crash Leaves Three Dead In Tennessee
A medical helicopter crash in Tennessee left three people dead this morning.
According to CNN, the helicopter was on its way to Bolivar to pick up a boy who was in renal failure. The helicopter, which took off from Memphis, crashed about halfway to its destination. All three people on board the helicopter, the pilot and two Memphis children’s hospital workers, were killed in the crash.
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital President and CEO Meri Armour said: “It’s a sad day for Le Bonheur, we have lost two of our associates, a registered nurse and a respiratory therapist. They were en route this morning to pick up a patient for the hospital in Bolivar.”
Dr. Jay Pershad, medical director of Le Bonheur’s air transport program, said that his team was absolutely devastated by the news.
Pershad said: “They have taken care of so many kids in their short lives… I can’t tell you how incredibly difficult it is for the entire team.”
The Seattle Times reports that the boy was transported to the hospital via an ambulance. There is no word on his condition at this time.
The helicopter crash a little after 6 am this morning near Somerville. It is unclear what caused the crash.
Bill Conway, the CEO of Hospital Wing, the air ambulance company that operated the helicopter, said that all three people who perished in the crash were personally friends.
Conway said: “It saddens me more than you can know. All three of these crew members were personal friends of mine… We would tell the families how very proud we are of their loved ones. You can’t do this job without loving what you do. You can’t do this job without loving emergency medicine.”
This is the second time in about three years that Hospital Wing has experienced a fatal crash. In 2010, another medical helicopter crashed near Brownsville, Tennessee, killing three people who were onboard.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will both be investigating the crash.
[Image Via Wikipedia]
