Woman Who Was Spun Around In Helicopter Rescue Is Suing The City Of Pheonix

The woman who appeared in a viral video of a mountain rescue that went very badly wrong is suing the city of Phoenix for negligence.

The clip, which was filmed one year ago, showed Katalin Metro being spun around almost 200 times as she was lifted on a stretcher by a helicopter.

Metro was in her 70s and reportedly tripped while walking on a trail and needing help to get back down.

Rob McDade of the Phoenix Fire Department said at the time: "Firefighters made patient contact and decided that the best course of action was to fly the patient off the mountain."

And so, a rescue team arrived, and Metro was strapped into what is called a 'stokes basket' and lifted from the ground. However, the stretcher then started to spin, picking up speed as it went.

Speaking at the time Paul Apolinar, a chief pilot with the Phoenix Police Department, said: "There are times when we bring the helicopter up from the ground, it will start to spin, so we have a line attached to the basket to help prevent that.

Fox10

"As the basket comes up and nears the helicopter, the basket will start to interact with the rotor wash of the helicopter. That is when it tends to spin. It wants to windmill."

The shocking clip of the incident has been viewed millions of times in the year since the rescue and in November lawyers acting on behalf of Metro filed a claim for $2 million (£1.58m) against the city, accusing the rescue team of negligence.

Now, Fox10 has seen the papers surrounding the claim, which read in part: "Katalin expressed to City of Phoenix first responders that she did not want to be taken off the trail by helicopter. Despite these findings and plaintiff's wishes, the City of Phoenix paramedics/firefighters made the decision to transport Katalin off the trail by helicopter air rescue."

It goes on: "The City of Phoenix was on notice of the potential to have a spinning event like this one, which caused injury and damages to plaintiffs if it failed to comply with safety standards."

Before saying that Metro has been left with 'pain, discomfort and anxiety' from the incident as well incurring medical care bills.

Topics: US News

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19