SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - New details tonight surrounding the death of a Santa Barbara woman on Romero Canyon Trail a couple weeks ago. Some have said that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff and Fire Departments, that now share helicopter resources, lacked communication to get off the ground in time for the rescue. But it wasn't for their lack of communication. Rather, it was a malfunction with equipment inside the helicopter.
The Sheriff and Fire Air Support merge allowed the county to cut the helicopter fleet down to six and saved them about $300,000 per year. But Sheriff Lt. Robert Mott admitted the merge has had some turbulence.
"I think that those things are improving slowly but surely. It's certainly a two steps forward, one step back situation. And we juggle that everyday."
A couple weeks ago, a woman complained of chest pains and died while hiking alone on the Romero Canyon Trail. Mott said Santa Barbara County Air Control was sent on the rescue mission, but had to delay because of a malfunction with an intercom system in the helicopter. On all missions there needs to be communication between the crew chief who sits in the back of the chopper and the pilot who sits up front. If there is an intercom problem, the mission is a no go.
"It was a routine maintenance issue that happens. They discovered it, they worked it, they communicated with dispatch, they fixed it and they deployed."
Lt. Mott insists the merge of the two departments did not play a role in the issue.
