Death of Texas First Responder Under Investigation

April 29—A federal investigator looking into the death of a Travis County first responder who fell from a medical helicopter Monday could stay in Austin through the week as he tries to piece together what went wrong.

A full investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board could take up to a year, a spokesman for the federal agency said. A preliminary report with basic facts about the deadly fall should be available within 10 days, the spokesman said.

On Monday evening, flight nurse Kristin McLain fell from the hoist of a STAR Flight helicopter as she tried to help ferry an injured woman up to the aircraft.

McLain was one of three people on the EC-145 helicopter sent at 8:25 p.m. to the Barton Creek Greenbelt, where the injured woman had fallen, Travis County officials said. McLain was helping hoist the woman into the helicopter when McLain fell and died.

The Safety Board grounded the helicopter involved in the incident. STAR Flight voluntarily took itself out of service after the accident, leaving its other helicopters unavailable to respond to emergency scenes, said Lisa Block, a spokeswoman for Travis County Emergency Services.

"Right now we just want everyone to deal with what's happened," Block said. She said crews would be allowed to fly again as they're ready. In the meantime, emergency medical service operations from neighboring counties are helping to respond to calls in Travis County as needed.

McLain, 46, had worked as a registered nurse for seven years with STAR Flight. She was one of two women on the 24-person staff that includes, paramedics, registered nurses and technicians.

State records show McClain had been a registered nurse in Texas since November 2008 with no disciplinary history.

She was previously licensed as a certified nurse aide and a registered nurse in Colorado, where she also did not have a disciplinary history, according to records.

A former colleague of McLain's at Colorado State University's veterinary teaching hospital recalled Tuesday that when McLain decided to pursue medicine, she had her heart set on becoming a flight nurse.

For Meghan Frazier, a nurse at the St. David's Medical Center labor and delivery unit, McLain had become an inspiration for many in the medical field.

"She was powerful and she was always pushing you to be a stronger nurse," Frazier said.

McLain regularly trained nurses at local hospitals, teaching them how to safely get into the helicopter and effectively provide care while moving patients.

She was among several STAR Flight team members to receive the highest award last year from the Higgins & Langley Memorial Awards, which honor achievements in swiftwater and flood rescue. McLain and others were recognized for rescuing 32 people during the deadly 2013 Halloween floods, during which "numerous lives would surely have been lost" without their efforts, according to the organization.

Steve Miller, chairman of the Memorial Awards board, described McLain as a dedicated professional in a dangerous field.

"It's quite an undertaking and requires a lot of training and a lot of physical work, as well as a lot of mental challenges," he said Tuesday. "She seemed to overcome all of that, and performed in an outstanding fashion."

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