Fumes in Military Plane Crash Studied in Rescuers’ Ailments
Fumes released during the fiery crash of a military airplane may be responsible for lingering ailments that have hospitalized several rescue workers, officials say.
Several emergency medics and police officers who responded to the Feb. 6 crash of the C-130 transport have suffered acute health problems. One policeman who was hospitalized for more than a week died at his home Monday.
The Kentucky Air National Guard plane plunged into a restaurant and motel, killing 16 people and spewing 4,000 gallons of blazing aviation fuel.
“There’s just an infinite number of things that could be involved that could release deadly chemicals,” Fire Chief Doug Wilcox said. “It could be the paint on the aircraft . . . . Then there was the building; the roofing; plastics. You name it; we had it.”
The cause of death of Officer James Gibson, who was overcome by smoke as he helped rescue people in the hotel, probably will not be known until next week, Vanderburgh County Coroner Charles Althaus said Thursday.
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