Just moments after a medical helicopter went down on a highway in California, Captain Peter Vanderslewis from the Sacramento Fire Station found himself leading a spontaneous rescue group of around 15 drivers to help lift the wreckage off of trapped paramedics.
With a firm shout of “lift,” they raised the helicopter and held it steady on his command. “The people there jumped into action without missing a beat,” he recounted. “And it was surprisingly easy to lift.”
Emergency responders, including nurses and pilots, were taken to the hospital in critical condition after the incident on State Route 50, situated east of downtown Sacramento, on Monday night.
The helicopter experienced an “in-flight emergency” after delivering a patient and crashed shortly after 7 PM. The conditions of the three individuals involved were still unclear by Tuesday.
Although Vanderslewis was the first fire chief at the scene, he realized that additional rescue crews would take too long to arrive.
“I could hear a woman moaning, so I yelled out to those around me for help lifting the helicopter,” Vanderslewis explained.
Firefighters attempted to pull the paramedics out, but one found herself ensnared in her seatbelt. A firefighter managed to crawl underneath and cut the belt to free her. In roughly 30 seconds, the makeshift team elevated the aircraft, and it was less than a minute before the paramedics were rescued.
Once the paramedics were out, they gradually lowered the helicopter back to the ground.
Vanderslewis mentioned that this was his first instance leading civilians during an emergency. Still, his nearly two decades in firefighting had equipped him with the skills for such situations.
Interestingly, his engine was already responding to a motorcycle accident on the same highway when the helicopter crashed. They managed to navigate through the traffic and arrive quickly.
By the time they did, some bystanders had already exited their vehicles to help.
Amy Braddock was among those who rushed to assist. She described how she dashed to the scene after witnessing the helicopter come down onto the sidewalk. “Everyone was moving to help,” she recalled, “so I joined in and pushed as hard as I could until help arrived.”
Fire officials are still determining the cause of smoke seen billowing from the aircraft at the time of the accident, although Vanderslewis indicated it was due to the onboard fire suppression system.
“It’s incredible,” noted Captain Justin Sylvia from the Sacramento Fire Station, particularly given that no injuries were reported among motorists on the highway when the crash occurred.
Traffic was halted as witnesses described the helicopter descending rapidly.
The crash of the Airbus EC-130 T2 is currently under investigation by The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The helicopter was operated by REACH aviation, which stated they are “thinking of and praying for all those affected.” They are in the process of verifying details regarding the situation and the condition of their team members.
Sacramento City Councilman Lisa Kaplan expressed her sorrow, reflecting on how surreal it felt to witness such an event while accompanying law enforcement pilots. “It’s really heavy, and it makes me ponder just how much those in these roles do every day,” she said.
