Helicopter Crash Claims Five Lives During Gran Canaria Rescue
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Helicopter Crash Claims Five Lives During Gran Canaria Rescue
- Five individuals died in Gran Canaria on March 30, 2004, when a Canary Islands Emergency Service helicopter crashed during a rescue operation for a bus accident, an event that deeply impacted the islands.
- The victims included pilot Juan Ignacio Hernández León, doctor Orlando Rodríguez Brito, nurse Carolina Pérez Medina, and two Dutch bus accident casualties, Wil Vol Bly and Alye Poepjes.
Full Summary — powered by AI
On March 30, 2004, a tragic incident unfolded in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Gran Canaria, when a helicopter belonging to the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) crashed, killing all five people on board. The helicopter was involved in the rescue efforts following a bus accident that occurred earlier that afternoon, around 3:00 PM. The bus, carrying mostly Dutch tourists on an excursion to the Chira dam, veered off the GC-604 road and fell down a cliff, resulting in 17 injuries.
Emergency services mobilized quickly, with ambulances transporting 11 less seriously injured individuals. Six of the more seriously injured required helicopter evacuation. After two successful helicopter takeoffs, the SUC aircraft, a Eurocopter SA-365-N1, was attempting to transport two Dutch women, Wil Vol Bly and Alye Poepjes, to Doctor Negrín Hospital. Shortly after lifting off, the helicopter’s propellers struck power lines in the vicinity, causing it to crash to the ground just before 5:00 PM.
The impact led to a large explosion and fire, hindering immediate access for rescue personnel. The five fatalities included the two bus accident victims, Wil Vol Bly and Alye Poepjes