Helicopter ambulance crashes into sea off Japan, patient among 3 dead

A medical transport helicopter crashed into the sea off the coast of southwestern Japan on Sunday, killing three people including a patient, while three others were rescued, the Japan Coast Guard said. The aircraft was transporting an elderly patient from an airport in Nagasaki prefecture to a hospital in Fukuoka when it went down over the sea. The incident prompted a large-scale search and rescue operation involving two coast guard aircraft and three patrol vessels.

According to officials, the bodies of Dr Kei Arakawa, 34; patient Mitsuki Motoishi, 86; and her caretaker Kazuyoshi Motoishi, 68, were later recovered by a helicopter from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. All three were declared dead at the scene.

Three other occupants survived the crash. They were identified as the pilot, Hiroshi Hamada, 66; helicopter mechanic Kazuto Yoshitake; and a 28-year-old nurse, Sakura Kunitake. The coast guard found them in the sea, clinging to inflatable lifesavers. Though all three suffered from hypothermia, they were conscious when rescued, an official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Yoshitake’s first name was initially reported with an incorrect spelling, but the coast guard later issued a correction.

The helicopter, part of Japan’s renowned “doctor helicopter” program, is typically used to transport patients in urgent need of specialized medical care. This program is crucial in saving lives by quickly moving patients to hospitals that can provide the necessary treatments. The crash, however, highlights the inherent risks involved in these high-stakes operations.