Regional One helicopter crashes near Spartanburg

[GalvestonDuck]

This always hits close to home for me.

http://www.thecarolinachannel.com/news/ ... etail.html

Four Killed In Medical Helicopter Crash
Crash Scene Difficult To Access

POSTED: 7:23 am EDT July 13, 2004
UPDATED: 10:36 am EDT July 13, 2004

JALAPA, S.C. -- Four people are dead after a medical helicopter crash near Jalapa in Newberry County.

Laurens County dispatchers said the crash happened close to Interstate 26 around 5:45 a.m., in a heavily wooded area behind a rest area at mile marker 64.

Crews head into the woods behind the I-26 rest area near where Regional One crashed.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said the Regional One helicopter had picked up an auto accident victim from an I-26 crash and was en route to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center when the crash occured.

Spartanburg Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Betsy McMillan said all four people onboard died in the crash, including:

Bob Giard, 41, pilot David S. Bacon Jr., 31, paramedic Glenda Tessnear, 38, flight nurse

Giard had flown Regional One since the program began in 2003. Bacon had worked with the program since May 2003, while Tessnear had been a part-time flight nurse for the past six months.

The 27-year-old patient was being sent to the hospital for a leg injury. Her name has not been released.

Truck driver Johnny Williamson had stopped at the rest area on I-26 to take a nap. He said he saw the helicopter take off and then heard a boom.

Williamson says he found the helicopter about a mile from the road. He said the chopper was destroyed.

Bulldozers were used to clear a path to the wreckage. Federal investigators are headed to the scene.

Much of the Upstate had foggy conditions Tuesday morning, but it's unknown if the fog played any part in the crash.

Regional One began service from SRMC in March 2003, using a Bell 407 helicopter. It is one of three medical helicopter services operating in the Upstate. Regional One and Med Trans One, which operates out of Greenville County, are owned by N.D-based Med Trans Corp.

Regional One is one of 11 helicopter services operated by Med Trans. Med Trans officials are flying to the Upstate for an afternoon press conference.

[bfez1]

How awful

[Lindaloo]

How tragic. Prayers going out to their families.

I feel sorry for the patient being transported. Survived a car accident and then dies on the way to the hospital. Unreal!

[j]

My home....haven't heard about this yet

[breezystorms]

That is so awful. Prayers and thoughts!