Medical helicopter tips over during rescue of injured camper in Washington

KITTITAS COUNTY, Washington (TMX) — After a missing camper in Washington state was found with severe bleeding from an accidental cut, the medical helicopter that arrived to transport him tipped over on its side, authorities said.

The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said it received a report at around 8 p.m. Tuesday that a camper did not arrive home as planned. The family of the missing camper reported he was in the area of Little Kachess Lake, and deputies dispatched to search soon found him injured.

The sheriff’s office said the man “sustained a significant accidental cut and was experiencing serious bleeding,” and medics who responded to the scene determined air transport was necessary due to the life-threatening nature of the injury. Medics transported the patient to a “hasty” landing zone established by deputies in a gravel parking are off Interstate 90 near exit 62.

When an Airlift Northwest air ambulance arrived at 11:02 p.m. and attempted to land, however, it tipped over onto its side.

Photos shared by Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue show the helicopter lying on its side in the gravel.

The fire department said its crew and deputies helped extract the flight crew, who were not injured, and extinguished a fire caused by the crash. The patient was ultimately transported by ground ambulance to a Snoqualmie-area hospital for treatment.

The sheriff’s office said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified and sent investigators to determine the cause of the crash.