Plane Crash - (Tygerberg, Cape Town) E - Med Morns Death of Plane Crash Victims

E-med Rescue 24 mourns death of crew and patient in aeromedical plane crash

It is with great sadness to hear of the passing away of two pilots, a paramedic, patient and his daughter in a crash involving an E-Med Rescue 24 aeromedical aircraft in the Tygerberg Nature Reserve near Cape Town, South Africa, this morning.

E-med Rescue 24 was in the process of evacuating an 80-year-old male on behalf of ER24 in South Africa from Oranjemund in Namibia. Our aircraft departed Oranjemund Airport shortly after 4am this morning and was expected to land at Cape Town International Airport in South Africa at 7am.

Shortly before 7am contact was lost with the aircraft. Emergency services in Cape Town were activated to conduct a search for the missing aircraft. Emergency services personnel found the wreckage of the aircraft in the Tygerberg Nature Reserve with no survivors.

It is understood from the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) that all aircraft approaching Cape Town International Airport at the time were placed in a holding pattern due to a technical fault with their radars. The E-med Rescue 24 aircraft was also in the holding pattern at the time. We lost contact with the aircraft approximately seven miles outside of the airport.

We have since been in contact with the family and notified them of the incident. The patient’s family was on route from Oranjemund via road to Mediclinic Panorama. ER24’s ambulance was at the airport to collect the patient and his daughter to complete the last leg of the evacuation to Mediclinic Panorama.

Although there is a lot of speculation regarding the exact cause of the crash, we are aware that the South African Civil Aviation Authority are on scene and will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

ER24 made trauma counsellors available to the family and friends.

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of our patient as well as crew on board.

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Pilot: Steven Naude, 53 / Daughter: Charmaine Koortzen, 49 / Co-pilot: Amore Espag, 23 / Paramedic: Alfred John Ward, 24