Jessica DeVries was a flight nurse with REACH Air Medical Services and a Menifee resident.
A Menifee woman was one of three people killed when a medical helicopter crashed into the ocean off Catalina Island Wednesday night, authorities said.
Jessica DeVries, 48 and a flight nurse with REACH Air Medical Services, was identified by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner as one of the deceased. She was working aboard a helicopter that was transporting a patient off the island, according to published reports.
The helicopter, based in Oceanside, landed on the island about 7 p.m. and took off for the mainland shortly before 8 p.m. before crashing soon thereafter, authorities said. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
First responders found four victims in the water at the crash site Wednesday night – two of them deceased. A fifth victim, identified as 45-year-old Catalina Hernandez, also died in the crash and was discovered on Friday. She was a Catalina resident who was being transported to the mainland with an allergic reaction, family members said.
DeVries had worked for REACH Medical Services for 15 years, according to her LinkedIn page. She was listed as a “Rotor wing flight nurse for REACH Air Medical Services, responding to 911 calls and inter-facility transports throughout the Southern California area.” She also had been an EMS Nurse Educator with the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District since 2022.
DeVries is survived by her son Gavin, 20, and her significant other, Brenda Simonian.
“She was a true hero and a great mother,” Gavin said. “She was an amazing woman to all who got the privilege of meeting her. She loved what she did and we will forever remember her for her strength.”
Krystyn Tello, a Menifee resident and a close friend, also paid tribute to Jessica on Friday.
“The loss of Jess is one that leaves a huge hole in the hearts of all of us who love her so deeply,” Tello wrote in a message to Menifee 24/7. “She was loving, kind, generous, empathetic, thoughtful, hardworking, and incredibly driven. She was a total hero and loved the work she did for REACH. She was adventurous and passionate about lifting weights, running, nutrition, and taking care of herself. She was often found running before the sun came up with her best friend, Ruth.
“She loved watching her son Gavin perform with his band. She loved concerts. She made the most beautiful sugar cookies as her side hustle. She was talented, creative, determined, and always giving her very best to everything she did.
“Jess was one of the most authentic people I have ever known. She loved with her whole entire heart. And if Jess loved you, you knew it. She never hesitated to let you know how much you meant to her. But more than anything in this world, she adored her son, Gavin. Everything she accomplished came from that incredible drive to be the very best mom she could possibly be. And she absolutely was that — and so much more.”
Jessica and her son, Gavin.
Jessica (right) with her significant other, Brenda Simonian.
