Chelsea Fire chief thanks first responders for assistance at helicopter crash
During the April 4 Chelsea City Council meeting, Chelsea Fire Chief Joe Lee spoke regarding the Lifesaver 4 helicopter crash that occurred in Chelsea on Sunday, April 2 and shared facts about the incident to the public to combat any rumors or misinformation.
The Chelsea Fire Department was dispatched to an incident off Bear Creek Road (CR-43) around 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon where a patient was located on a bicycle trail approximately 1.5 to 2 miles from the roadway and was experiencing difficulty breathing. Upon arrival, the crew walked to the patient and used a Polaris (an off-road vehicle) to bring them out, Lee said.
While being brought off the trail, the patient stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest. Due to delay in getting back to the roadway and to give them the best chance of survival, the decision was made to call the Lifesaver helicopter for transport.
“After several minutes of advanced life support, the patient was successfully resuscitated and had regained vitals,” Lee said. “When the crew arrived at the roadway, Lifesaver had not yet reached the scene, so Chelsea Fire and Rescue transported the patient to the emergency room and Lifesaver was canceled by the incident commander.
At 5:20 p.m. Chelsea Fire and Rescue was dispatched, along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Cahaba Valley Fire Department, to an aircraft down on Bear Creek Road–for the Lifesaver 4 helicopter that was en route to the original incident.
Chelsea Fire was the first fire crew on scene of the crash. After extingushing the flames and shutting down the helicopter, they removed the two live victims from the wreckage, as the third victim was deceased. Both were transported to the emergency room, one by a Chelsea unit and the other by a CVFD unit. One of those victims passed away at the ER and the other is in stable condition.
The scene was secured with assistance from Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Cahaba Valley Fire Department, Shelby County Emergency Managament Agency and Alabama Law Enforement Agency. The Federal Aviateion Adminstration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, and currently have no information regarding what caused the helicopter to crash.
“I cannot be prouder of our guys and how they handled the couple of hours of complete chaos that ensued,” Lee said. “They handled themselves and this scene with professionalism and skill that only comes through training experience and dedication to their craft. It is an honor to have them protecting our community.”
Lee added that the crew of Lifesaver 4 were friends and colleagues of Chelsea Fire and said their loss is extremely difficult on the department.
“I’ve been in this business a little over 30 years and some days are harder than others,” he said. “Sunday is a day we will never forget.”
Also approved during the meeting:
- Authorization for the mayor to enter into the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs Mutual Aid Consortium Agreement. This will allow fire departments that join to provide aid to each other in the event of a disaster.
- A proclamation declaring April 2023 as Fair Housing Month in the city of Chelsea
- Accepting a quote for new signage for the Chelsea Senior Citizens Lodge.
- Awarding education grant funds to Forest Oaks Elememtary for reading materials in the amount of $1515.90.
- Approval to pay the city’s bills
Important dates
April 7: City Hall closed for Good Friday
April 15: Fire at the Foothills BBQ cook-off, 1-4 p.m. at Chelsea Community Center
April 17: Chelsea Municipal Court
April 18: Chelsea City Council meeting, 6 p.m.
April 27: Chelsea High School SGA Hall of Fame ceremony, 5:30 p.m. at Double Oak Community Church, Chelesa
April 30: Splash Pad at Melrose Park opens for the summer