A Netcare emergency recuse helicopter has crashed in KwaZulu-Natal (KNZ), killing all five people onboard.
The Civil Aviation Authority is on scene investigating what caused the tragic accident on Thursday 21 January, and the medical organisation has conveyed its deep sorrow at the loss of its members who died in the line of duty.
Netcare helicopter crashes in KZN
The chopper was en-route transporting a Netcare machine from Johannesburg to Newcastle on the KZN coast when the incident occurred at around 15:00 on Thursday
In a statement, Netcare said that the organisation is devastated by the incident and loss of five dedicated colleagues.
“The whole of Netcare falls silent as we bow our heads in tribute, respect, love and memory of our fallen colleagues and frontline heroes who have died in the line of duty,” said Dr Richard Friedland, chief executive officer of Netcare.
“There are no words adequate to describe our sense of profound loss and grief at this terrible time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.”
CAA combing area for information
Craig Grindell, managing director of Netcare 911, said that more details surrounding the cause of the crash will be released when they become clearer to investigating authorities, and conveyed his sympathies to the families of the deceased members.
“We are profoundly saddened, and our deepest sympathies are with the families and loved ones of our colleagues aboard Netcare 1 air ambulance, which was carrying a pilot and four healthcare personnel on board when it crashed near Bergville,” he said.
“We are shocked beyond words at the tragic loss of these healthcare heroes. The details surrounding the crash are not yet clear. We will however issue a further statement once more information becomes available and the next of kin of those aboard have been notified,” concluded Grindell.
Discussion about this post