Padre Island EMS ship down ?

[Goldy]

So apparently the USCG was out last night looking for a reported EMS helicopter down somewhere near Padre Island, Texas...does anyone have any more info than that ??

[brushfire21]

This may be what your talking about: Two links with a copy of the text.

 

http://www.d8externalaffairs.com/go/doc/425/191063/

 

Press Release

Date: February 5, 2008

Contact: LTJG Ben Sparacin

(361) 939-6227

 

COAST GUARD SEARCHES FOR DOWN MEDICAL HELICOPTER

 

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS - The Coast Guard is searching for one pilot and two medics from a South Padre Island emergency medical services helicopter that crashed into the lower Laguna Madre Bay earlier this evening.

 

The crew of a Coast Guard Corpus Christi HU-25C rescue aircraft located the down helicopter's fuselage and is joined in the search effort by a Coast Guard Corpus Christi HH-65C rescue helicopter, two Coast Guard Station South Padre Island rescue boats, and a rescue boat from the Coast Guard patrol boat BRANT.

 

The Coast Guard received the report of a down helicopter at approximately 9:50 p.m. and located the wreckage at approximately 11:00 p.m.

 

The EMS helicopter was reportedly en-route to the Port Isabel Convention Center for the medical evacuation of a patient when the crew aborted the mission due to weather and shortly there after went lost communications.

 

The Coast Guard was assisted by the U. S. Customs and Boarder Patrol, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and local EMS agencies in locating the wreckage.

===================

 

http://www.texas-fire.com/

Valley AirCare Helicopter Crashes, 2 Medics and Pilot Killed

February 06th, 2008

 

 

Valley Morning Star

 

Heavy winds ruffled red and white roses that fluttered on the helicopter pad where pilot Robert Goss launched the Valley AirCare helicopter Tuesday.

 

South Texas Emergency Care board members met late Wednesday morning for a briefing on the accident that killed Goss, paramedic Michael Sanchez and nurse Raul Garcia of San Benito.

 

Co-workers placed the flowers on the helicopter pad to remember their friends, said Arnold Maldonado, a paramedic.

 

Goss is from Illinois where he flies a cropduster plane, and works in the Rio Grande Valley during the winter, Rene Perez, director of transport services for South Texas Emergency Care. Read More »

[Gomer Pylot]

Looks like weather again. Flying in poor weather kills more people than just about anything else in aviation. Weather kills. Maybe it was something else, but that's what the initial reports seem to indicate.

[Goldy]

Looks like weather again. Flying in poor weather kills more people than just about anything else in aviation. Weather kills. Maybe it was something else, but that's what the initial reports seem to indicate.

 

If its bad enough that an GOM EMS pilot turns around then I dont want any part of it!

Yes, it looks weather related at this time...too bad, last I heard USCG had not located anything, so a bit of a shock to see 3 killed..

[BowmanAviator]

That has to be a tough decision for EMS pilots. Somebody might die if you don't fly, but you and your crew might die if you fly in bad weather.

[BOATFIXERGUY]

You always dread seeing this. My thoughts are with the crew and families.

[Helix]

Geez, bad times in Corpus Christi. They just lost a -53 a few weeks ago.

[Wally]

That has to be a tough decision for EMS pilots. Somebody might die if you don't fly, but you and your crew might die if you fly in bad weather.

 

Not tough at all, if you're with the right program- pilot decisions are compartmentalized, isolated from the medical aspects. As far as I know it's a call to transport because it's the last ground ambulance available in the area and they don't want to be uncovered. My job as EMS pilot is to provide SAFE and efficient transport by helicopter, period. Risking 3 more lives to possibly help 1 isn't good arithmetic, especially if I can't be reasonably certain that the risk benefits the patient. In other words, I have to be reasonably certain that I'll get to the hospital with the patient or I worsen the issue.

Edited February 8, 2008 by Wally

[Goldy]

Not tough at all, if you're with the right program- pilot decisions are compartmentalized, isolated from the medical aspects. As far as I know it's a call to transport because it's the last ground ambulance available in the area and they don't want to be uncovered. My job as EMS pilot is to provide SAFE and efficient transport by helicopter, period. Risking 3 more lives to possibly help 1 isn't good arithmetic, especially if I can't be reasonably certain that the risk benefits the patient. In other words, I have to be reasonably certain that I'll get to the hospital with the patient or I worsen the issue.

 

 

I guess being the GOM at night my first assumption was weather, now I hear that vis was reported to be 8 miles at the time.....time to wait for the report to come out.

[nbit]

Don't know where it happened, but if it was night time over water, even with 8 miles viz, it might as well be IFR. Same conditions that got JFK Jr. Weather was VFR, but IFR skills were required.