Two Americans were killed in the Dominican Republic while on board a U.S.-owned helicopter involved in Haiti aid efforts. Pilot John Ward and co-pilot James Jalove were returning from Haiti on Thursday night when their R44 II helicopter crashed into a mountain in the western Dominican province of Dajabon, said Dominican Civil Aviation Institute spokesman Pedro Jimenez. Jimenez did not release the men's home states or towns.
One of the firefighters at the scene, Angel Belliard, said one of the two men was dressed as a doctor -- he did not elaborate -- and that emergency responders found medication scattered around the crash site.
U.S. Embassy spokesman David Searby said he could not confirm the crash or the reported identities and nationalities of the victims. Protocol requires that the Embassy contact next of kin before confirming the deaths of U.S. citizens.
The helicopter was owned by JAJ Investments Limited in Naples, Florida, according to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration documents. The company could not be reached immediately for comment.
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Carol, Steve Cullen here, I was one of the docs with operation rainbow, we were in the recovery room together. I have your stethescope still. Send me an email at doccullen@cox.net so I can figure out a way to get it back to you. Hope this note finds you and Tom well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking to time to prepare such an informative and enlightening post.
ReplyDeleteThanks.