2 dead, 1 missing off of Catalina Island after medevac helicopter goes down in the water
Two people died, and one remains missing in the ocean after a medical transport helicopter flying from Santa Catalina Island to the mainland went down in the Pacific Ocean Wednesday, officials said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department got a call around 7:43 p.m. for a marine rescue to recover three people from the water, agency spokesperson Jonathan Torres said. The department learned the people had been on a helicopter departing the island for the mainland and that there were actually five people involved, Torres said.
A Catalina Medical helicopter crash victim was transported to the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood in an L.A County Fire helicopter.
(KTLA)
Rescuers found four people in the water. Two of them were pronounced dead at the scene, and two were rescued and transported to mainland hospitals in stable condition, Torres said. The fifth person has not been found, Torres said, though the search continued through the night.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, Torres said.
This story will be updated.