LOS ANGELES, CA — Two people were killed, two others were hospitalized and one person remained missing after a medevac helicopter crashed into the ocean off Catalina Island on Wednesday night, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Fire officials said they received reports of the crash just before 8 p.m. Emergency crews from the fire department, sheriff’s department, lifeguards and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene after the helicopter went down while traveling from Catalina Island toward the mainland.
Los Angeles County Fire Engineer Jonathan Torres said four of the five people aboard had been found. Two were taken to mainland hospitals in stable condition, and two were confirmed dead at the scene.
Search effort continued overnight for the missing passenger
By early Thursday, rescuers were still searching for the person who had not been located. The fire department said in a social media post that one person reported to be on the aircraft was still missing.
Officials said the helicopter was submerged in about 240 feet of water off Catalina Island, which sits roughly 22 miles from the Los Angeles County coast. The depth and location of the wreck made the recovery effort especially difficult.
Authorities have not publicly identified the people on board. They also have not said what medical emergency prompted the flight or what caused the aircraft to go down.
Preliminary details point to five people aboard the aircraft
Early information, which officials said was not yet confirmed, suggested the helicopter carried a pilot, a nurse, a patient and two others when it crashed. The condition or role of the two additional passengers has not been made public.
The flight was part of a medevac mission, meaning the aircraft was being used to transport a patient for medical care. Authorities have not said why the patient needed to be taken to the hospital or whether the helicopter was headed to a specific facility on the mainland.
The crash happened at night, and the first reports reached emergency dispatchers shortly before 8 p.m., setting off a multi-agency response around the island.
REACH Air Medical Services said it was gathering information
The aircraft was reportedly owned by REACH Air Medical Services, a Sacramento-based company that provides critical care air and ground transport across California, according to its website.
A spokesperson for Global Medical Response, which is connected to the company, said in an email to KTLA that it was aware of the incident and working with responders and authorities to collect information. The spokesperson said the company’s immediate concern was for the well-being of those involved.
No additional details were released about the helicopter, its crew or its route. Company officials said they would share more information when it became available.
NTSB expected to lead the crash investigation
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive Thursday morning and take over the investigation into the cause of the crash. A spokesperson said it was still too early to know what led to the wreck.
The NTSB said investigators would document the scene and examine the aircraft after recovery work was complete. That recovery effort was being handled by other parties before the helicopter could be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.
Investigators have not released a timeline for when a preliminary finding may be available. For now, the focus remained on recovery, identification and determining exactly what happened over the water near Catalina Island.
County leaders expressed concern as response teams worked
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said on X that she was praying for everyone on board. Her comment reflected the growing concern as emergency crews continued their work overnight.
The crash drew attention because Catalina Island is a frequent departure point for medical transport and other emergency flights serving the mainland. With the aircraft in deep water and one person still unaccounted for, officials continued to treat the case as an active response and investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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