NYPD detective injured during demonstration
A detective of the New York Police Department (NYPD) was injured after falling from a helicopter during a demonstration at an NYPD Hostage Negotiation Team conference
The unnamed officer fell between 15 and 20 feet (4.5–6 meters) while carrying out a demonstration at the police academy in Queens on Thursday 1 December.
The fall was caused by an unsecured rope, and resulted in the man’s leg being ‘snapped in half’, according to a report by the New York Post. It is currently unclear why the rope was improperly attached.
The detective was transported to Jacobi Hospital for treatment, although his condition is currently unknown.
Hoisting operations of any kind carry serious risks, and while dangers can be mitigated through rigorous training and the implementation of modern equipment and technology, accidents can still occur through human error or equipment malfunction.
Lieutenant Antonio Hernandez of the NYPD Aviation Unit spoke to Mandy Langfield about his organization in the July issue of AirMed&Rescue.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.