Crews from different emergency medical service providers gathered at the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on Thursday evening to pay their respects to the five Netcare 911 crew who died in a helicopter crash in KwaZulu-Natal earlier in the day.
According to sources, the gesture was spontaneous, with industry colleagues and members of the public laying flowers at the hospital.
In a video, scores of emergency vehicles can be seen flashing their red lights in remembrance of their fallen colleagues.
Two doctors, a nurse, a paramedic and the pilot were killed in the crash.
They were Dr Kgopotso Rudolph Mononyane, an anaesthetist; Dr Curnick Siyabonga "Sia" Mahlangu, a cardiothoracic surgeon; Mpho Xaba, a specialist theatre nurse for cardiothoracic and transplant - all from Netcare Milpark Hospital; Sinjin Joshua Farrance, an advanced life support paramedic at Netcare 911; as well as the pilot of the helicopter, Mark Stoxreiter, who worked for the National Airways Corporation.
They were on their way to transport a critically ill patient to the Netcare Milpark Hospital when the helicopter crashed in Bergville in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
The SA Civil Aviation Authority has sent a team of investigators to the scene.
“ it is with the greatest sadness to inform you that a Netcare helicopter crashed on route to KZN to collect a patient . Dr Siya Mahlangu, Dr Rudolph Mamonyane, Mpho Xaba, paramedic and two pilots all sadly passed away on scene. “ hawe ma pic.twitter.com/wPorjZiZ3s
— Ndlovukazi (@2uli) January 21, 2021
— NETCARE 911 (@Netcare911_sa) January 21, 2021
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