Medical Transport Helicopter
Crashes in Potomac River

Fire and rescue boats brought diver to the scene of wrecked chopper where personnel worked all night to find crewmember.   Photo by Chaucey Bowers	Dive team members from the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department prepare to conduct another search of the area near the wreckage. Divers searched overnight for one member of the helicopter crew who is still missing. Photo Courtesy PGFD by: Chauncey Bowers
The search continues for missing crew member of this private air transport crew which was headed back to their base in Stafford County after dropping a patient at Washington Hospital Center.  ST. MARY'S TODAY photo

Oxon Hill, MD – Prince George’s County Fire/EMS divers and rescue personnel responded to the Potomac River just east of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge about 11:30 pm Monday night.  Initial calls indicated a downed aircraft in the water.

A rapid multi-jurisdictional response consisting of units from Prince George’s County, the District of Columbia, and Virginia located the crash site in the waters of the Potomac River.  The crash left one-crewmember dead, one in critical condition, and one missing.

The helicopter is part of a medical transport service from Virginia.  A crew of three is believed to have been aboard.  One crewmember was pulled from the water, treated by paramedics and transported to an area trauma center in critical condition.

One crewmember was deceased on the scene.  Divers continued to search for the third crewmember overnight.

A Maryland State Police helicopter first located the crash scene and directed responding resources to the exact site.  Crewmembers aboard the Alexandria Fire Department's fireboat were able to quickly pull the surviving victim from the water.