An accident in Austin, Texas, this week served as a tragic reminder of how rescue crews at times risk their own lives to save others. A medevac nurse working for STAR Flight, an aerial emergency response service in Austin, fell to her death while attempting to rescue a hiker who had fallen in the Barton Creek Greenbelt on Monday evening, a news release from STAR Flight said. The rescue crew had located the woman and was hoisting her and McLain into the EC-145 helicopter when McLain fell from the hoist. She died at the scene.
There was no word of what caused McLain to depart from the hoist. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating.
