Apr 26, 2009 9:29 pm US/Eastern
Shock Trauma Honors Medevac Chopper Victims
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A fundraiser for the Shock Trauma Center honors victims of last September's deadly Medevac chopper crash.
CBS
Four people who died when a Maryland State Police Medevac helicopter crashed were remembered Saturday night.
Suzanne Collins reports the one and only survivor of that September crash attended the fundraising gala for Shock Trauma.
Maryland lost a state police pilot and a paramedic in the chopper crash, as well as a volunteer firefighter and an accident victim.
One young lady, though, who was also in that helicopter is doing very well.
Jordan Wells is on crutches and still has a few scars, but she did survive the state police Medevac chopper crash and was escorted to the Shock Trauma fundraiser by those who rescued her from the wreckage.
"I remember everything until we crashed, and then woke up in the woods. I remember those two hours in the woods pretty well. I remember them rescuing me and John looking for more survivors. I remember him calling out there was none," says Jordan.
The Medevac chopper went down in fog and though the pilot asked a controller for help landing the craft, she didn't know how to use that specialized equipment.
The governor says some good did come from the terrible loss of lives.
"To make sure we give them the best equipment, to make sure we ask every question. To make sure flights are not too numerous if they don't need to be up. To make sure that we upgrade the technology," said Governor Martin O'Malley.
A few lawmakers did not want to proceed with a plan to replace the aging helicopter fleet, but they were overruled.
"What the legislature has shown is that they believe as the citizens believe, we should go ahead acquiring the new aircraft," said Terrence Sheridan, Superintendent of Maryland State Police.
"It was just incredible to me when Maryland has the preeminent pre-hospital care system in the country, maybe the world, that those people wanted to dismantle it," said Dr. Thomas Scalia, Shock Trauma Chief.
People attending the gala watched a video honoring those who died in the crash. Nearly 100 others received Hero Awards for their role in the rescue and lifesaving care of accident victims.
Most of the state's Medevac helicopters were purchased in 1989 and 1990, and will be replaced over a three-year period.
There were a number of accident survivors at the fundraiser who say the Shock Trauma team saved their lives and they wanted to say thank you.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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