Rockford Memorial’s REACT helicopter program returns to service
Posted By Brandon Reid On February 5, 2013 @ 10:21 am In Happening Now, Local News | No Comments
Online Staff Report
Rockford Memorial Hospital’s REACT helicopter program resumed full air and ground transport service Sunday, Feb. 3.
Operations had been shut down since the fatal Dec. 10, 2012, crash that took the lives of flight nurse Jim Dillow, 40, flight nurse Karen Hollis, 48, and pilot Andy Olesen, 65.
The crew had been called to Mendota Community Hospital at around 7:30 p.m., Dec. 10, to pick up a critically ill patient. However, the crew reportedly encountered unspecified bad weather and had planned to turn back when it crashed in a field near Compton, Ill., at around 8:30 p.m. No patients were on board when the helicopter crashed.
Working with aviation partner Air Methods, REACT pilots, flight nurses and mechanics resumed serving injured and critically-ill patients throughout the region Feb. 3.
The first flight was a patient flown from Freeport to Rockford Memorial Hospital.
REACT is using a temporary Eurocopter EC135 aircraft housed at the hangar on the North Rockton Avenue campus.
The permanent replacement aircraft, also a Eurocopter EC135, continues to be prepared for delivery to Rockford Health System. The aircraft is being outfitted and painted, and is expected to arrive within one to two months.
Rockford Health System has established “The REACT Crew Memorial Fund” to support the families of the crew members who were lost in the accident Dec. 10. Contributions to the fund will be accepted by the Rockford Memorial Development Foundation and provided to the families. Contributions may be directed to: Rockford Memorial Development Foundation, 2400 N. Rockton Ave., Rockford, IL 61103; by calling (815) 971-4141; or by donating online at www.rockfordhealthsystem.org/REACT.aspx [1].
Posted Feb. 5, 2013
Article printed from The Rock River Times: http://rockrivertimes.com
URL to article: http://rockrivertimes.com/2013/02/05/rockford-memorial%e2%80%99s-react-helicopter-program-returns-to-service/
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[1] www.rockfordhealthsystem.org/REACT.aspx: http://www.rockfordhealthsystem.org/REACT.aspx
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