'She Was Strapped to a Gurney': The Agonizing Search for the Missing Mother in the Catalina Helicopter Crash
In 60 seconds: The fifth person aboard the medevac helicopter that crashed off Catalina Island has been identified as Catalina Hernandez, 45 — a mother of three airlifted after an allergic reaction, possibly still strapped to a gurney when the aircraft hit the water. The Coast Guard says the search remains active, and the NTSB has released its first preliminary findings.
- The missing passenger is 45-year-old Catalina Hernandez, a Catalina Island resident and mother of three, airlifted after a severe allergic reaction to shrimp Wednesday night.
- Her 20-year-old son was aboard to help translate and is hospitalized with injuries.
- Unconfirmed broadcast reports say Hernandez may have been strapped to a gurney when the helicopter went down — authorities have not verified that.
- An NTSB preliminary report classifies both fatalities as crew members, with one crew member seriously hurt and one passenger with minor injuries.
- The search continues across several square miles of ocean with a Coast Guard submersible craft; the wreckage lies in about 240 feet of water.
A day after a medevac helicopter plunged into the Pacific off Santa Catalina Island, the search has a name — and a family waiting on the shore. Catalina Hernandez, 45, was the patient aboard the REACH Air Medical Services helicopter when it went down shortly after takeoff Wednesday night around 7:50 p.m. Two crew members are dead, two people are hospitalized, and Hernandez is still missing.
What happened
The Airbus H-135, bound for the mainland, crashed into the water a short distance from the island near Pebbly Beach. Four of the five aboard were pulled from the dark water — the male pilot and a female nurse were pronounced dead; a medic and another man were hospitalized in stable condition. Hernandez remains unaccounted for.
Her family told NBC4 she had suffered an allergic reaction after eating shrimp Wednesday night and was being airlifted to a mainland hospital. Her 20-year-old son went along to help translate — she has lived on the island 26 years — and is now one of the hospitalized survivors.
Latest verified facts
The search is extensive and still active. Coast Guard Capt. Stacey Crecy said crews worked through the night and into Thursday, deploying a 45-foot response boat, a helicopter crew, and a submersible craft, using drift-modeling software across several square miles. LA County Fire divers re-entered the water at daylight Thursday. A memorial service was held on the island.
The NTSB's preliminary report added formal structure: both fatalities are classified as crew members, another crew member was seriously hurt, one passenger had minor injuries, and the missing woman is listed as a passenger. The helicopter left Oceanside at 6:40 p.m. and arrived on Catalina at 7:04 p.m. — crashing about 45 minutes later on the outbound medical leg. The wreck lies in about 240 feet (73 meters) of water; after recovery it goes to a secure NTSB facility for examination.
Why it matters
This is the third deadly California helicopter crash in roughly three weeks — after a firefighting helicopter in Yosemite killed two pilots eleven days ago and a news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles killing two people two weeks ago. Three crashes, six deaths, one region: that cluster will raise questions about whether this is tragic coincidence or something systemic. For Catalina's residents, the loss is personal.
Impact on the USA and the world
The crash spotlights air-ambulance safety in America — a sector already under congressional scrutiny. The NTSB will examine the aircraft, the operator, and the night-time over-water departure profile, and its findings will feed into national medevac safety standards.
What happens next
The search for Catalina Hernandez continues — the Coast Guard has not called it off, and the active submersible phase suggests hope has not been abandoned. The full NTSB investigation will take months: recovering the aircraft from 240 feet, examining the airframe, analyzing any recorded data. Victim identities remain officially unconfirmed. Read our earlier coverage: 'One Outstanding': 2 Dead, 1 Missing After a Medevac Helicopter Plunges Into the Ocean Off Catalina.