US Marine Travis Reyes survives deadly Osprey crash and life-saving medical treatments
Consensus Summary
On August 27, 2023, US Marine Corporal Travis Reyes survived a deadly Osprey crash during Exercise Predator’s Run near Melville Island, Northern Territory, which killed three crew members and left 20 injured. Reyes suffered catastrophic injuries, including a shattered chest, missing lung, and severe internal bleeding, leading to multiple cardiac arrests. Emergency doctors stabilized him at the crash site, then airlifted him to Darwin and Melbourne, where The Alfred Hospital’s team used ECMO and innovative treatments like hyperbaric therapy to combat a life-threatening fungal infection. After 38 days in Melbourne, Reyes was flown to Texas for further care, marking one of the longest ECMO retrieval flights in history. His recovery, involving record-breaking medical interventions, highlighted both the risks of the Osprey aircraft and the extraordinary efforts of trauma specialists.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Corporal Travis Reyes (21 years old) was aboard an Osprey aircraft during Exercise Predator’s Run on August 27, 2023, near Melville Island, Northern Territory.
- The Osprey crashed into the jungle on Melville Island, killing three crew members and leaving 20 survivors, including Reyes.
- Reyes was stabilized at the crash site by Dr. David McCreary from The Alfred Hospital, who performed a thoracostomy after his heart stopped.
- Reyes was airlifted to Royal Darwin Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to remove his left lung and spleen, receiving 26 liters of blood.
- Reyes was transferred to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne for ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) treatment, arriving on August 29, 2023.
- Reyes suffered multiple strokes, organ failure, and a fungal infection (Mucor) affecting his face and neck.
- Reyes spent 38 days at The Alfred Hospital before being transported to a US military hospital in Texas on an ECMO machine.
- The Osprey aircraft involved in the crash has been linked to 35 fatalities since entering military service in 2007.
- Reyes’ wife, Jasmine Policarpio, identified him in news footage and was notified of the crash at 2am Hawaii time.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Reyes was eating McDonald’s and dangling his feet off the ramp when the crash occurred.
- The Osprey in front pulled up without warning, forcing Reyes’ pilots to veer and lose lift.
- Reyes’ vitals indicated massive internal injuries, including a suspected build-up of blood increasing pressure on his heart and lungs.
- A US CareFlight helicopter winched down eight liters of blood just as Reyes’ heart went into arrest.
- Reyes’ leg turned black from lack of blood flow, and he had multi-organ dysfunction, including kidney failure and pneumonia.
- Dr. Joseph Mathew set up a bed in his office for 22 days to monitor Reyes’ condition 24/7.
- Reyes was described as ‘the sickest patient in the state and possibly the country’ upon arrival at The Alfred Hospital.
- The Alfred’s retrieval team arrived in Darwin at midday the day after the crash to prepare for Reyes’ transfer.
- Reyes described his survival as ‘stubbornness’ and recalled grabbing onto hydraulic lines before losing consciousness.
- Dr. Bridget Devaney proposed using a hyperbaric chamber for Reyes, a treatment never before used on an ECMO patient.
- Reyes received 13 hyperbaric treatments over 15 days, which helped heal his fungal infection.
- Reyes’ trip to Texas on an ECMO machine was the longest ECMO retrieval flight in history.
- Reyes was released from the US hospital in Texas after eight months of intensive care.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The SMH and THEAGE mention three crew members died, but do not specify their names, while ABC does not mention a specific number of crew deaths.
- SMH and THEAGE describe Reyes as 21 years old, while ABC describes him as 20 years old during the crash.
- SMH and THEAGE state Reyes was transferred to The Alfred on August 29, but ABC does not specify the exact date of his arrival in Melbourne.
Source Articles
A fiery air crash, a face-eating fungus and minutes from death in the Top End: How The Alfred’s doctors saved this US marine
In a series of world firsts, The Alfred’s team saved the life of US marine Travis Reyes, critically injured in a deadly aircraft crash in remote NT.
A fiery air crash, a face-eating fungus and minutes from death in the Top End: How The Alfred’s doctors saved this US marine
In a series of world firsts, The Alfred’s team saved the life of US marine Travis Reyes, critically injured in a deadly aircraft crash in remote NT.
Surgeons thought about taking Travis's face off before they saved him with a 'crazy idea'
Travis Reyes survived a horror military aircraft crash but what came after was a two-year battle from doctors across Australia and the US to save his life.