Doctors successfully transplant heart despite helicopter crash - and organ dropping on floor

Newly emerged video shows the organ went through a series of accidents before being transplanted successfully

A donated human heart that was involved in a helicopter crash on Friday while being carried for transplant surgery was also dropped on the floor by a medic during the chaos, it has now emerged.

The heart was being carried from San Diego to Keck hospital in East Los Angeles by helicopter when the aircraft crashed onto the roof of the hospital. 

A dramatic video capturing the rooftop crash showed the helicopter ambulance losing control for a few seconds as the pilot tried to land the 8-seater craft on the rooftop at Keck Hospital in Boyle Heights, however, it veered off and landed at the edge of it and fell on its side.

The three people in the helicopter at the time survived the crash, with the pilot sustaining only minor injuries and two passengers walking away declining treatment.

Video of the scene after the crash showed firefighters using hydraulic tools to cut open the crashed helicopter to retrieve the heart – but the dramatic rescue didn’t end there. 

A medic who was handed the organ and tried to make his way quickly inside the hospital could be seen tripping over the debris from the crash, sending the heart falling to the floor. A firefighters helps him gather it back up before heading down into the building.

Despite its ordeal, the heart remained in a usable condition and was eventually successfully transplanted into the donee patient, according to KTLA-TV. The Los Angeles Fire Department also tweeted about the operation, saying “the donated organ was safely retrieved by LAFD firefighters and handed over to [hospital] staff”.