More fear than harm in a helicopter accident, Saturday November 23. Having come as reinforcements to transport the victims of a road accident in Montanel, commune of Saint James, on the border of Manche and Ille-et-Vilaine, the Samu 35 helicopter is now grounded.
The helicopter turns several times on itself
Around 12:20 p.m., according to Samu 35, a 40-year-old father and his 8-year-old child were in their car. Driving at high speed, they hit a wall on which an EDF electrical box is installed. The vehicle burst into flames. The man and his child managed to get out, but they were seriously injured. The child was the most seriously affected; he had to be rushed to Tours, to a specialized burn unit.
The Ille et Vilaine Samu helicopter was therefore called in for reinforcements from Rennes, around sixty kilometers away. But while landing as close as possible to the accident, the helicopter hit an obstacle which had not been identified by the ground emergency services. Under the shock, the machine turns several times on itself. The pilot manages to regain control, and manages to land. Miraculously, no one on board was injured. The helicopter is grounded because its rear rotor is very damaged.
The seriously burned child transported to Tours
The Manche Civil Security helicopter, the Dragon 50, was in turn called, and took the child to Tours. The father, less seriously burned, but traumatized by the accident, was transported by ambulance to Caen University Hospital.
An air gendarmerie investigation must shed light on the circumstances of this helicopter accident. The Samu 35 machine must then be repaired, either on site or in a specialized workshop depending on the extent of the damage.
