ORLANDO, Fla. — Officials are looking into why a helicopter was delayed in picking up a burn trauma patient.
Channel 9 obtained video showing a motorcycle exploding during a race at a local dragway, leaving the rider covered with third-degree burns.
It happened earlier this week at Orlando Speed World on East Colonial Drive.
A Speed World employee called 911.
“I’ve had a motorcycle explode,” he told the dispatcher. “The driver is severely burnt. My paramedic is calling for a helicopter ASAP.”
The caller told the dispatcher that the victim’s entire body was burned.
“He was completely engulfed in fire,” said the caller.
The video was sent to Channel 9 members of the rider's family, who identify him as Jose Medina, but say he goes by “Ito.”
The brother of the victim said Medina was on fire for nearly a full minute, leaving 34 percent of his body covered with third-degree burns.
There are unmarked ambulances at the dragway and Speed World does have medical personnel on hand.
“The paramedics actually got him near the ambulance at this point in time,” said the 911 caller.
“OK, and he is with a paramedic right now?,” the dispatcher asked.
“Yes ma'am, he is with our paramedics,” said the caller
Orange County Fire Rescue called for a helicopter because Medina was considered a trauma burn patient.
Now officials are looking into why that helicopter was delayed, forcing responders to drive Medina by ambulance 20 miles away to Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Medina’s family said he is still at the hospital, is stable and did not suffer any broken bones from jumping off the motorcycle.
Channel 9 contacted ORMC and the company that provides air service.
Officials said the responding helicopter was switched because one had been on a trauma call and needed to be decontaminated.
A statement said, in part, that the company and hospital is looking into the delay in service and will need time to determine exactly what happened
Cox Media Group
