When Seconds Count: A Look Into the Area's Medical Helicopter Service

Medical helicopters: in emergencies, we depend on them to transport us to the hospital quickly and safely. But in the last year, more than two dozen Americans died in crashes.

The most recent crash was in October in Illinois. A 13-month-old girl being treated for seizures, the pilot, a nurse and a paramedic all died.

The National Transportation Safety Board says helicopter EMS safety has been an ongoing concern.

Who Covers the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry?

The medical helicopter that covers our area is LifeStar, owned by the national company Omniflight. Many consider Omniflight one of the safest helicopter companies.

The last time one of its medical helicopters crashed was more than six years ago in South Dakota, killing four. Published reports state pilot inexperience played a part in the crash.

Here at home, experience is why crew members say there's never been a medical helicopter crash in our area since it started service here in the ‘80s.

When every second counts, LifeStar is a vital part of the trauma center. Silla Sumerlin, Memorial Health’s Trauma Program Manager says, "It worked great for the sugar refinery. I think we sent out 20 flights that night with the different helicopters and it allowed us to get patients to the burn center."

And more victims survived because of it. From the trauma team, to the flight crew, to the pilot, when there's an emergency, they each play a major role.

"If you can reach a trauma center within an hour of the initial injury, your chances of survival are significantly increased," says Silla.

By car or ambulance, very few counties are within that golden hour and that's where LifeStar comes in.

"We've landed in people's yards. We've landed on the interstate. We’ve landed on barrier islands where an ambulance would not get there before us," says Flight Nurse Karmen Phillips.

Before liftoff, the crew triple checks every part of the helicopter. Mike Sharp's been a pilot for more than 40 years. "There's a lot of experience here. We take safety to heart. We pay attention to detail," says Mike.

They have checklists and paperwork, even a computer program that determines your flight risk. If it's too high, LifeStar can't leave because it's not safe to fly.

"It happened my last shift. We went on a flight up to Effingham and pitch black, up through the river valley there. It wasn't supposed to be any weather up there and the next thing we were hitting the clouds. Have to turn around and regroup," explains Mike.

Mike says there are times when he wonders if the next flight may be his last, but his experience pushes those doubts away. "Tense moments, but you can handle that when you're trained to do that."

Earlier in the day, Mike and the flight crew had to convince a man who'd just had a heart attack that they would get him to the hospital safely.

"He was afraid to fly. And he was getting pretty apprehensive. You just give them the experience level of the crew. We've been doing this for 40+ years. Never had a scratch on any piece of machinery. And that's what keeps us safe," says Mike.

Omniflight Puts Safety First
The Golden Hour