Imagine a medical helicopter crashing onto a busy highway, trapping a paramedic beneath its wreckage. This is exactly what happened on a California highway, and what unfolded next is nothing short of extraordinary. But here’s where it gets truly remarkable: within minutes, Sacramento Fire Captain Peter Vandersluis rallied a group of about 15 bystanders to lift the helicopter off the trapped paramedic in a coordinated, life-saving effort.
As Vandersluis barked commands—“lift” and “hold”—the impromptu team responded with precision. “It was pure instinct,” Vandersluis later told The Associated Press. “These people didn’t hesitate; they followed my every word, and we lifted the helicopter with surprising ease.”
The crash occurred Monday evening on State Route 50 east of downtown Sacramento. The helicopter, a REACH Air Medical aircraft, had just dropped off a patient at a hospital when it experienced an “in-air emergency” and went down shortly after 7 p.m. The paramedic, along with a nurse and pilot on board, were rushed to hospitals in critical condition. Their conditions remained unknown as of Tuesday.
Vandersluis, who was supervising the first fire engine crew to arrive, knew time was of the essence. “When I heard the woman groan, I made an instant decision to call on bystanders for help,” he explained. A firefighter quickly discovered the paramedic was trapped by her seatbelt, scrambled underneath the wreckage, and cut her free. The entire rescue took less than a minute.
And this is the part most people miss: Vandersluis had never led civilians in an emergency before, but his nearly 20 years of firefighting experience and training kicked in seamlessly. “My job is to lead my team daily,” he said. “This was no different.”
The scene was chaotic yet remarkably organized. Aimee Braddock, one of the bystanders who rushed to help, described the moment to KCRA-TV: “As soon as I saw everyone pushing the helicopter to free the passenger, I joined in. We held it steady for several minutes while the first responder extracted the paramedic.”
Miraculously, no one on the highway was injured—a fact Capt. Justin Sylvia of the Sacramento Fire Department called “mind-blowing,” given the helicopter crashed in the center of the busy road. “Traffic slowed down just in time,” Sylvia noted.
The crash is now under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. REACH Air Medical issued a statement expressing their thoughts and prayers for those impacted and confirmed they are working to determine the details of the incident.
Sacramento City Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan, who was on a ride-along with law enforcement responding to the crash, described the scene as “sombering.” She witnessed plumes of white smoke—later confirmed to be from the helicopter’s onboard fire extinguisher system—rising from the wreckage. “It makes you grateful for every day and for the bravery of our first responders and medical pilots,” she reflected.
But here’s the controversial question: Could this level of civilian coordination happen again in a similar crisis? Or was this a once-in-a-lifetime moment of human unity under pressure? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—do you think bystanders would step up like this in your community?
This story, reported by Golden from Seattle and McAvoy from Honolulu, with contributions from Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, highlights the power of human instinct and teamwork in the face of adversity. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
