Overview
- A REACH Air Medical Services H135 medevac helicopter crashed into the ocean just after taking off from the Pebbly Beach helipad near Avalon on Wednesday night, and rescuers initially pulled four people from the water.
- Los Angeles County sheriff’s divers later found the missing patient in the submerged wreckage, bringing the confirmed toll to three dead and two survivors who remain hospitalized.
- The U.S. Coast Guard, Los Angeles County Fire, sheriff’s divers, Avalon Fire and other teams used boats, aircraft, divers and a remotely operated vehicle to search the scene and locate the fuselage about 200–250 feet deep.
- The National Transportation Safety Board opened an active investigation with FAA involvement, and officials say the cause is unknown while deep-water recovery will slow on-site evidence collection and documentation.
- REACH and parent company Global Medical Response said they are coordinating with authorities to support families and staff, and the crash has renewed scrutiny of medevac safety after a separate REACH crash in October 2025.