Medevac Crash In Maryland

[ashfire]

Near midnight a state police medevac helicopter was in route to a trauma center outside Washington DC when it became lost in the weather and tried to return to its hanger on Andrews Air Force Base to have the two teenage patients it was transporting to be transfered to two waiting ambulances to complete the transport.
The helicopter disappeared from radar. In two hours it took a tracking of a cell phone of one of the crew members to find the area where the helicopter was. Police heard a young girl calling for help. The officers found the wreckage and the pliot, the trooper medic, a volunteer fd medic and one patient dead. One patient was alive and fire dept arrived and transported her to the trauma center.
The funerals have been arranged and will start Friday.
Twelve helicopters have been grounded until all is comfirmed safe but many things are coming forward about the age of the helicopters and equipment they don't have to make them safer.
But the loss of those that were brave to came to the rescue and one life that could have had a long life to come are sad loss.
The loss of a helicopter that had a grand history in our area of saving lifes with it's many crews. A history of safe flights since the late 80s after three fatal crashes of smaller helicopters that killed six crew members and brought on the need for upgraded helicopters.
The state has been working on the purchase of updated heilcopters to replace the fleet that now is operating. The hope will be that the safe history will continue from now and beyond.

[ashfire]

Tributes For Those That Were Lost
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksNl4K4V3TQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppb1hge8Iz4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVr53Rg-Kn4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWbpFmA1PqM&NR=1

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Dang.

I hope the families can cope with this. =(

[ashfire]

Someone has posted that a well known protest group is going to be at the funeral for the volunteer EMT to make a mockery of the deaths of those in the crash. It seems they are targeting the police officers but they are disrupting anothers funeral.
I have heard that a Patroit group have been asked to attend by the family for their help if this group shows.
We have are own group the Red Knights who I am sure will be there along with the fire service the sheriff's office and the state troopers.

[RobinSena]

Wow, that's gotta be tough..

Someone has posted that a well known protest group is going to be at the funeral for the volunteer EMT to make a mockery of the deaths of those in the crash. It seems they are targeting the police officers but they are disrupting anothers funeral.
I have heard that a Patroit group have been asked to attend by the family for their help if this group shows.
We have are own group the Red Knights who I am sure will be there along with the fire service the sheriff's office and the state troopers.

God, I hate those people. They disgust me.



The Patriot Guard is a pretty cool idea. Glad someone is there to protect these families from sickos.

[Tsukuyomi]

That is so sad ;___;

[ashfire]

Well I was able to be at a intersection to be part of road guards that block the traffic for the funeral processions.
I was helping a crew that had a fire engine with only two volunteers on it from another county.
We were there from 9 AM to 1: 30 PM.
There were two processions.
First was the volunteer fire dept medic. Her casket was carried in the ambulance she had been in the night she had went to help at the accident before boarding the helicopter. The number of fire and police units that went through.
The second procession was the pilot of the helicopter. Before his procession came through the police Honor Guard units were sent ahead and it was a long line of units.
I think the police units that came the farthest was a Texas State Trooper and there were many units in volved in that.
Fly overs of helicopters were from different area agencies.
I may have even seen a fly over by Air Force One because it was very close.
The area was brought to a stand still for both processions.