Security heightened for sole survivor of tragedy in Panama

PANAMA CITY.- Panama National Police have tightened security measures outside the hospital where the sole survivor of the May 29th air tragedy in which 11 of the 12 passengers died aboard the SAN-100 helicopter after the aircraft crashed in the Panamanian capital.

Armed officials guarded the entrance to the National Hospital today after it was confirmed that unknown individuals, who claimed they were journalists, tried to enter the medical center to gain access to the copilot of the doomed helicopter, Ernaldo or Hernando Carrasco, who is scheduled to be released sometime this week. 

The copilot managed to survive despite the fact that the seat he was buckled to was thrown from the aircraft from the impact of the helicopter crashing into the “Banana Price” shopping center, located in the highly populated Calidonia neighborhood of the city.  Although he suffered multiple fractures caused by the 15-meter fall, the copilot was able to survive the crash.

Carrasco´s testimony will be key in determining exactly what happened inside the U.S. made Bell UH-1N helicopter, which lacked a black box flight data recorder. The motors of the aircraft, which had been in use for more than 30 years, were shipped to Canada on Tuesday, where the Pratt & Whitney motor company is located.