'People screaming for help': Details of Catalina copter crash emerge

Key Points:

• A medical transport helicopter flying from Santa Catalina Island to the mainland crashed into the Pacific Ocean, resulting in two deaths and one person missing, who is believed to be the patient being evacuated.
• The helicopter, a Eurocopter EC135 P2 owned by REACH Air Medical Services, went down shortly after takeoff, with four people found in the water—two rescued and two deceased—and the search for the fifth person continues.
• Rescue efforts involve the Coast Guard and Los Angeles County Fire Department, including the use of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, a response boat, underwater drones, and predictive software to locate the missing individual and the submerged helicopter.
• The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with officials noting that the helicopter is equipped with flight data and cockpit audio/video recorders that will aid in determining the cause.
• REACH Air Medical Services expressed condolences and is cooperating with authorities; the incident follows previous fatal accidents involving the same company’s helicopters, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in medical air transport.