AUSTIN, Texas — STAR Flight has grounded their four medical helicopters following the fatal fall of a flight nurse during a rescue Monday.
At about 9:50 p.m., Kristin McLain, 46, was helping hoist a woman who had fallen in the Barton Creek Greenbelt into the EC-145 helicopter when McLain fell from the hoist and died, Travis County officials said.
The National Transportation Safety Board grounded the helicopter involved in the incident, and STAR Flight voluntarily suspended operations for it’s three other helicopters, KXAN reports.
The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating her death.
In the meantime the companies AirLife, AirEvac and PHI will provide air ambulances services for the area covered by STAR Flight.
AirLife President and CEO Shawn Salter said he’s worked with and trained with McLain, and said air ambulance responders are close knit.
“They are part of a small family,” he said. “And our heart goes out to them and also the family and co-workers of Ms. McLain.”
STAR Flight is one of only three air ambulance agencies in Texas that perform hoisted air rescues, he said.
“It requires a lot of training, a lot of extensive financial support, and so, usually it’s reserved for those areas where it’s going to prove to be a benefit,” Salter said.
He said McLain had the same personality traits as many of the crew members who perform air rescues.
“The individuals, I’ve found, who take on these type of roles are very passionate individuals and are very dedicated individuals,” he said.