Medical Helicopter Crashes Into Ocean Off Catalina Island, Killing Two and Prompting Search for Fifth Person Near Avalon in Los Angeles County Waters
LOS ANGELES, CA — Two people were killed and two others were hospitalized after a medical helicopter crashed Wednesday night into the ocean near Catalina Island, setting off a large rescue effort and a continuing search for a fifth person believed to have been on board.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said rescuers were still looking Thursday for the missing person after emergency crews pulled four people from the water near Pebbly Beach, about a mile from Avalon. Two of those rescued were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two were taken to mainland hospitals in stable condition.
Officials said the aircraft went down shortly after taking off from Catalina. The helicopter was operating for REACH Air Medical Services.
Crews reached the crash scene near Pebbly Beach within minutes of the evening call
Emergency responders were called shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday to the area near Pebbly Beach on Catalina Island. The location is roughly 22 miles from the Los Angeles County mainland, and the wreckage was later described as submerged in about 240 feet of water.
County firefighters and lifeguards were among the first agencies to respond. They were joined by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Avalon Fire Department as the search and rescue effort expanded through the night.
The recovery effort focused on getting the four people out of the water quickly and determining whether anyone else had been aboard. Authorities said a fifth person was believed to have been on the helicopter, but the person had not been found by Thursday.
REACH Air Medical Services confirms one of its helicopters was involved in the crash
REACH Air Medical Services confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in the crash. In a statement to CBS Los Angeles, a company spokesperson said the organization was aware of the incident and said its “immediate concern is for the well-being of those involved.”
County Supervisor Janice Hahn said on X that the helicopter had taken off from Catalina shortly before the crash. That account lined up with the county’s description of the aircraft going down soon after departure.
Authorities have not publicly identified the people on board or explained what role each person had aboard the helicopter. The identities of the deceased and the hospitalized patients had not been released as of Thursday.
Two survivors were taken to mainland hospitals in stable condition
Of the four people recovered from the water, two were pronounced dead at the scene and two were transported to hospitals on the mainland. Officials said those two survivors were in stable condition after being transferred for medical treatment.
That detail was the most immediate sign that some occupants had survived the impact and the initial hours after the crash. Even so, the conditions of the hospitalized patients and the extent of their injuries were not disclosed.
The rescue operation centered on an area just off Avalon, one of Catalina Island’s best-known communities. Because the wreckage settled deep underwater, recovery efforts were more difficult than a typical shoreline response.
The National Transportation Safety Board is now leading the investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Investigators will work to determine what caused the helicopter to go down, but authorities have not yet said whether weather, mechanical problems or another factor may have been involved.
No official explanation has been released for why the aircraft crashed after departure from Catalina. The county and federal agencies involved have also not identified what type of mission the helicopter was carrying out beyond being a medical aircraft operated by REACH Air Medical Services.
Until investigators recover more evidence from the submerged wreckage, the sequence of events will remain incomplete. Officials have said only that the helicopter was found in deep water and that a search continued for the missing person believed to have been aboard.
Search continues as investigators withhold identities and cause of the wreck
The case remains active because responders have not accounted for everyone believed to have been on the helicopter. The missing person search continued Thursday, a day after the crash, as crews worked near the island and in nearby waters.
Authorities have also not released the names of those aboard, their ages, or their roles on the aircraft. That lack of identification has left several basic questions unanswered, even as family members and hospital staff deal with the immediate aftermath.
For now, officials are confirming only the facts that have been established: the crash happened off Catalina Island, four people were recovered, two died, two survived in stable condition and the investigation is in the hands of federal safety experts.
