The heart can only take so much.
Footage taken Friday above the helipad at USC Keck Hospital in East Los Angeles showed a comedy of errors when it came to transporting a heart awaiting transplant.
First, the helicopter carrying the essential organ from a donor at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, California, crashed onto the LA hospital’s roof, winding up on its side and leaving the pilot with minor injuries and two other passengers reportedly unscathed. Patients and staff inside the hospital felt a jolt, and pedestrians on the sidewalk below had to dodge debris, according to KTLA, which posted dramatic video of the helicopter spinning out of control. Miraculously, firefighters on the scene were able to get the heart out of the mangled chopper. But a medical worker carrying the blood-pumper on the helipad tripped, fell and fumbled the precious cargo.
In the video, the man who dropped the heart was checked on by a colleague while another worker in scrubs moved quickly to retrieve the organ.
Luckily, the heart was seemingly not broken.
“The organ is currently being safely transplanted,” read a press release from the hospital regarding the crash, adding that “patient care has not been disrupted.” While it is unclear what caused the medical helicopter mishap, the hospital said it was working with local police and fire departments to “manage and investigate the incident.”
No updated health status was given for the transplant recipient.
