All three people on board a United States medical helicopter have been confirmed dead after the flight crashed into a densely wooded area outside Jackson, Mississippi.
The victims, identified as a pilot and two nurses who worked for the University of Mississippi Medical Center, were returning to Columbus from a patient transport when the helicopter crashed.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s vice chancellor for health affairs, LouAnn Woodward, confirmed the incident during a press briefing on Tuesday.
According to Woodward, the victims, whose names were not mentioned, were part of AirCare 3, one of four medical helicopter units operated by the medical center.
She stated that the AirCare helicopters and their crews played an integral role in providing critical care services across Mississippi, adding they had a spotless safety record until the crash.
“The entire medical center family is heartbroken over this. This is the crew that responds to emergencies all across the state, and to see them respond to one of their own today was just something that you can’t put into words,” Woodward said.
“It’s a tragic reminder of the risks Mississippi’s first responders take every day to keep us safe. Our state will never forget the sacrifice of these heroes.” Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said on his social media handle.
Furthermore, Reeves noted that the probe into the crashed Eurocopter EC-135 would be carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the cause of the tragic incident.
