Fatal crash of REACT helicopter

Rockford Health System (RHS) of Illinois, US, has confirmed that Rockford Memorial Hospital’s REACT helicopter crashed on 10 December, resulting in the deaths of all onboard.

At approximately 20:30 hrs local time, the helicopter crashed in a field to the south of Rochelle, Lee County, Illinois, said RHS; there were no survivors. The crew members on the aircraft were named as pilot Andy Olson, flight nurse Jim Dillow, and flight nurse Karen Hollis. According to reports, the crew had been en route to Mendota to pick up a patient.

RHS said in a statement: “At Rockford Health System, our hearts are heavy. We grieve the loss of three heroes who dedicated their careers to serving others … Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of our three fallen crew members.”

As part of RHS’s Regional Emergency Acute Care Transport (REACT) service, the BK117 helicopter was used to transfer critically ill or injured individuals, including trauma patients, cardiac patients, orthopaedic patients, paediatric patients, and high-risk mothers and infants, from regional hospitals or trauma sites in a 14-county region in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. REACT transports over 800 patients annually by helicopter and another 130 patients by ground transportation, and is the only air medical and critical care ground programme in the region accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), according to the RHS website.