'People screaming for help': Details of Catalina copter crash emerge
Authorities have recovered the body of a third victim following a medical transport helicopter crash off the coast of Santa Catalina Island. The aircraft, operated by REACH Air Medical Services, crashed shortly after takeoff, leaving two survivors.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the risks associated with medical transport operations and has prompted an investigation by the NTSB.
The body of a third victim killed in a helicopter crash off Santa Catalina Island has been recovered, authorities said Thursday night. Earlier in the day, investigators located the wreckage of a medical transport chopper that crashed in the Pacific Ocean after departing Wednesday night from the island, killing a pilot, a nurse and a patient. Two people survived. Sources familiar with the investigation identified the patient as Catalina Romero, a 45-year-old resident of Avalon who suffered a severe allergy attack. ABC7 was first to report on the woman being identified. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department divers found her body in the wreckage of the helicopter Thursday, the Coast Guard said in a statement. At a news conference Thursday, Sheriff Robert Luna noted the wreckage was deep in the water, 200 feet below the surface.
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