Four Fatally Injured Saturday When Lifeflight Helicopter Went Down In Coffee County

Officials have released the identities of four people fatally injured when the Haynes Lifeflight medical helicopter they were aboard went down in Coffee County, AL Saturday.

The Alabama Emergency Management Agency has identified those on board as the pilot, Chad Hammond; Stacey Cernadas, flight nurse; Jason Snipes, flight medic; and Zach Strickland, patient.

The Eurocopter AS350 based at Troy Regional Medical Center had been sent to the scene of an automobile accident in Coffee County. EMA deputy director James Brown said that the patient had a broken leg and was unconscious.

The aircraft went down in a heavily wooded area about a mile from the scene of the automobile accident, according to a report from the Troy Messenger newspaper. The weather was reportedly poor in the area where the aircraft went down, hampering search efforts. Brown said there was fog in the area, which caused a delay in sending up a search helicopter.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov