By FireRescue1 Staff
LEWES, Del. — The family of a firefighter who died after falling from a helicopter in a training exercise is suing an air rescue company.
Delaware Online reported that Timothy McClanahan’s two children have filed a lawsuit against Priority 1 Air Rescue, claiming the company sold the state the wrong type of caribiner for air rescues and negligently marked the equipment as “secure.”
McClanahan was performing a hoist training exercise in 2016 when he fell about 100 feet after stepping onto the helicopter’s skid.
According to the lawsuit, McClanahan was using a “non-locking” caribiner, which opens more easily, to tether his safety harness to the helicopter.
The correct caribiner used in air rescues require two actions to open, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit said one of the caribiners disconnected at some point before McClanahan fell, and added that others inside the helicopter saw him double check the safety connections before the helicopter took off.
“The defendant’s use of a non-locking connector on its hoist operator tether directly led to the fatal injuries and death of decedent Timothy J. McClanahan,” the lawsuit said.