Doctor Performs Successful Transplant After Helicopter Carrying Donated Human Heart Crashes

A helicopter with a donated organ crashes on the hospital’s rooftop, the entire incident after the crash was captured on video.

A helicopter crash last November 2020 proved that nothing could stop a doctor from performing a heart transplant. The helicopter carried the donated organ from San Diego to East Los Angeles. It was supposed to land on Keck Hospital’s rooftop at Boyle Heights. 

As the pilot and three other people carrying the donated human heart inside the helicopter hurry to reach the hospital in time for the transplant, an unfortunate event happened. The eight-seater helicopter ambulance landed at the edge of the hospital’s rooftop, crashing on its side. 

Fortunately, all passengers survived without any major injuries. However, one patient was fighting for his life while waiting for the donated organ to be transplanted. The fast-thinking firefighters and medics of Keck Hospital had to do everything they can to save the organ and, eventually, save the donee patient.

Firefighters’ Heroic Act

Video coverage of the occurrence after the crash captures the firefighters’ nerve-wracking attempt to rescue the donated human heart while keeping it in usable condition. 

The firefighters try to cut open the helicopter using hydraulic tools. Fortunately, they succeeded in retrieving the heart. However, the heart-stopping rescue continued after the donated organ was dropped to the floor.

As the medic tried to grab and deliver the donated human heart to the operating room, another accident happened, which shocked everyone present at the scene of the event. Due to the crash, there were piles of debris strewn on the hospital’s rooftop. This caused the medic to step and trip on the debris, falling to the floor, with the donated organ in hand.

By now, the organ had been in a crash and had also been dropped to the floor. Firefighters rushed to help the medic recover the organ. The medic then hurried down the building to deliver the heart in time for the surgery. And he did. 

Successful Surgery

It was all a matter of time to perform the heart transplant successfully. As doctors and other hospital staff do their best to save the heart, everyone waited in anticipation. Finally, a report from KTLA-TV confirmed that the heart surgery was a success. The donated human heart, despite its crash and fall, was still in an extremely usable condition. The donee patient survives, and firefighters, medics, and staff pat each other on the back for a team effort well done.

The incident is a dramatic rescue that made the rounds online. A Tweet from the Los Angeles Fire Department also relieved users following the story. The Tweet said, “the donated organ was safely retrieved by LAFD firefighters and handed over to [hospital] staff.”

Accidents like this are inevitable. But through quick and fast response, people can prevent casualties of any kind. This is also all thanks to proper training and fast-thinking actions from our modern-day heroes, the firefighters, and the medical staff.