file photo
A police helicopter crashed about 9 a.m. Sunday while trying to rescue an injured climber in the Picos de Europa mountain range in Spain, killing all three crew members on board. A fourth crew member, who had already exited the helicopter to aid the climber, survived and called for help. “They were carrying out a mountain rescue when their helicopter hit the wall of a mountain and was thrust down the slope,” officials said in a statement. Some sources reported the area was engulfed in fog during the rescue attempt, but a government official said the weather was good at the time of the accident.
The helicopter, operated by the Guardia Civil, had two police officer/pilots and two mountain-rescue experts on board. The climber, who had a broken ankle, was later rescued by another helicopter and taken to a hospital.
