MADISON COUNTY — Three people are dead following the crash of a Columbus-based medical helicopter near the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Madison County.
During an on-site press conference with multiple media outlets, streamed on Facebook by DarkHorse Press, Madison County Sheriff Randall Tucker confirmed the three fatalities, though he did not release any names out of respect to the victims’ families.
Tucker said his office started receiving calls about the helicopter going down around 12:40 p.m. in a heavily wooded part of the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area, which is near the Natchez Trace Parkway. The helicopter was a Eurocopter EC-135, according to the Federal Aviation Administration website.
The Associated Press reported that there was a pilot and two hospital workers on board the helicopter when it went down. University of Mississippi Medical Center representative Patrice Guilfoyle confirmed to The Dispatch there was no patient on board at the time of the crash.
Golden Triangle Regional Airport Executive Director Matt Dowell confirmed the helicopter was UMMC’s AirCare 3 unit, which operates out of a hangar at the airport. Dowell said the helicopter typically parks at the airport and responds to local hospitals and emergencies based on medical need.
Tucker said the helicopter had just left the Jackson hospital and he said he believed it was heading back toward Columbus when the crash happened, though he could not confirm its destination definitively.
“They’re first responders just like us,” Tucker said during the press conference. “When one of us hurts, we all hurt.”
Tucker said the crew called in that it was losing power just before the crash. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.
Gov. Tate Reeves offered his condolences to the loved ones of the victims Monday afternoon.
“Please keep the victims’ families and coworkers in your prayers,” Reeves posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It’s a tragic reminder of the risks Mississippi’s first responders take every day to keep us safe. Our state will never forget the sacrifice of these heroes.”
Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin also offered his sympathies to those affected.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families!” he posted Monday afternoon on Facebook.
Reporter Cullen Paradis contributed to this report.
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