Nurse dies after fall from rescue helicopter hoist

KVUE-TV, Austin

Show Caption Hide Caption Nurse falls from helicopter during rescue, dies A nurse responding to a distress call died after falling from a STARFlight medical helicopter during the rescue.

AUSTIN — A nurse is dead after falling from a hoist on a helicopter while rescuing a woman who fell from a hiking trail here Monday night.

The Travis County (Texas) STAR Flight helicopter was responding to reports of a woman who fell. The helicopter was hoisting the woman into the aircraft when 46-year-old flight nurse Kristin McLain fell from the hoist.

In a news release, Star Flight said McLain became detached from the hoist while retrieving a woman who had fallen in the Barton Creek Greenbelt. McLain was pronounced dead on the scene. It was not clear how far she fell.

The rescued woman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

STAR Flight program director Casey Ping said Tuesday that McLain has been with the company for seven years.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. Further details were not released.

"The FAA and the NTSB have been contacted and the investigation is ongoing," said Ping.

STAR Flight provides aerial emergency medical services.

Contributing: The Associated Press