The recent crash of an emergency medical flight in the Nevada desert has claimed the life of CareFlight paramedic Ryan Watson, a new father, along with four other people on board. Watson, aged 27, died on Friday night when a medical services airplane en route to a hospital crashed 25 miles southeast of Reno.
The pilot, nurse, patient, and patient’s relative also lost their lives in the tragedy. Although the victims have not been officially named, Watson’s loved ones have revealed his identity and that he and his wife had just welcomed their son, Carter, to the world last month. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined, and an investigation is ongoing.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Watson’s widow and child. His CareFlight co-worker, Savanah Green, described him as a dedicated paramedic and new family man.
Green noted that Watson’s death was especially heartbreaking because his son had just been born on January 19. According to his wife Kailey’s Facebook page, the couple had gotten married last June after being in a relationship for four years. The GoFundMe page has raised nearly $50,000 for Watson’s family.
On Saturday morning, Care Flight, the airline service of REMSA, the Regional Emergency Services Authority, announced the tragic news on their Facebook page that their PC 12 fixed-wing aircraft with tail number N273SM had gone off radar around 9:45 pm, and everyone aboard had died. The company expressed their heartbreak over the tragedy and revealed that they were in the process of notifying family members.
Authorities in Lyon County were alerted to the plane crash after receiving numerous calls around 9:15 pm, CNN reported. First responders from Lyon and Douglas counties responded and approximately two hours later, around 11:15 pm, located the plane.
The cause of the crash is still unknown, and the Central Lyon Fire Department and Lyon County Sheriff’s Department are working with the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the cause.
Dale Miller, communication supervisor for REMSA and Care Flight, said that they were getting several calls since the incident and could not comment on whether all the victims have been identified yet. He added that they were assembling information, and the investigation was still ongoing.
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