A "loving" grandmother was killed when she was "blown off her feet" in a hospital car park by a landing helicopter.
The family of Jean Langan want those responsible held accountable after the 87-year-old could not be saved yesterday after falling at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed the helicopter was flying a patient in on Friday afternoon, PlymouthLive reports.
And Devon and Cornwall Police this afternoon confirmed an 87-year-old woman who was on a footpatch was blown off her feet by the "down draft" from the chopper.
The pensioner's niece Gael was taking her aunt to an appointment when the chopper arrived and flew over their heads as they entered the building.
The gran flew backwards and slammed onto the concrete, the family say. Her niece was with her "before, during and after" the horror ordeal yesterday at the hospital.
Gael told the Sun she wasn't injured herself but "just has various aches and pains".
Jean's heartbroken family said today that she will be "fondly remembered" and leaves a "large hole" in their lives.
Gael Hill, who Jean lived with for over a decade, said: "Despite her age, Jean was very physically active, she would walk for miles, she liked to keep busy.
"She was a loving mother of one son and four grandchildren, who she cherished.
"She had many nieces and nephews and she had a very generous nature.
"Jean lived with me and had done so for the past 10 years or more, she loved seeing my children and grandchildren when they visited, it gave her great pleasure to interact with the little ones.
"She will leave a large hole in our family and will be very sadly missed and fondly remembered."
Michael Hill, Jean's great-nephew, added: “I’m just shocked. We want the hospital and the coastguard to be held accountable.”
In a statement, police confirmed that a woman who died in the grounds of a hospital when she was blown off her feet as a helicopter landed was an 87-year-old from the Plymouth area.
A spokesperson said she suffered a serious head injury in the incident at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth on Friday morning and later died, while a second woman in her 80s is being treated for a broken pelvis.
Detective Inspector Andy Hodges of Devon and Cornwall Police said an HM Coastguard helicopter was landing at the hospital helipad with a casualty from a separate incident, and the force is now assisting with an inquiry led by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Detective Inspector Andy Hodges said today: “It is currently believed that at around 11:20am on Friday 4 March, a HM Coastguard helicopter was landing at the helipad at Derriford. The helicopter was carrying a casualty linked to a separate job earlier that morning.
"Whilst the helicopter was in the process of landing on the helipad, the down draft caused one member of the public, an 87-year-old woman from the Plymouth area who was on nearby footpath, to be blown over," he said.
“She sustained a serious head injury and later died in Derriford Hospital. Her next of kin have been informed and a file is to be prepared for the coroner.
“A second woman, also in her 80s, was in the car park when it is believed the down draft caused the car door to slam shut whilst she was exiting her vehicle. She has suffered a broken pelvis and remains in hospital in a stable condition.”
DI Hodges continued: “Our role now is to assist with the investigation which is now being led on by the Air Accident Investigations Branch.
“This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts go out to all affected by what took place yesterday at Derriford.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Our deepest sympathies go out to those affected by the incident at Derriford Hospital."
"It would be inappropriate to comment while the incident is investigated by Devon and Cornwall Police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch."
A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said a HM Coastguard helicopter was flying a patient to Derriford Hospital and "as it landed, there was an incident which is now being investigated by the police and Air Accidents Investigation Branch."
They added: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by yesterday’s incident.”
The helipad was laid in 2015 after concerns over about Devon and Cornwall's air ambulances ability to land around the clock on what originally was just a flat and unlit piece of grass.
The project cost £1.75m and took around seven months to build and meant that not only could the air ambulances land but also the bigger and heavier search and rescue helicopters, such as ones used by the military and HM Coastguard.
Prior to the installation of the new landing pad, helicopters had to land at nearby Marjon or even Plymouth Airport, with patients then being transferred to hospital by land ambulance.
In 2015 it was reported that Derriford Hospital took about 400 patients per year as emergencies needing transfer by air.
