A helicopter crashed into Miami’s famous South Beach on Saturday afternoon just metres away from swimmers, leaving two injured and resulting in a federal investigation.
The shocking incident, caught on camera, showed a Robinson R44 helicopter plunging into the ocean, just metres away from a large crowd of beachgoers and swimmers, at around 1.20pm on Saturday.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the crash that happened “under unknown circumstances,” the agency said.
Authorities confirmed the injuries of two of the three passengers aboard the helicopter. They were taken to Jackson Memorial’s Ryder Trauma Center.
All three individuals were reported to be in a stable condition with no injuries reported to the beachgoers.
Video footage of the crash was shared by the Miami Beach police department on Twitter. It showed the chopper rapidly descending and then finally plunging near the crowded area where several swimmers and paddlers were enjoying the weekend.
“The beach area between 9 to 11 Street is currently closed. The FAA is responding to the scene,” said a Miami Beach police department spokesperson.
Several beachgoers, who witnessed the scenes and were left stunned, shared photos and video of the wreckage on Twitter.
“I’m sittin on south beach Miami… a f****** helicopter has just crashed into the sea in front of us,” said one user.
“Dude, a f****** helicopter just went down in Miami. Oh my god,” a person can be heard saying in a video shared by another user on the microblogging site.
“We are sitting on Miami Beach and a helicopter literally crashed into the sea right infront us where people were bathing. WTF,” wrote another user.
In another crash on Saturday evening, a police department helicopter in Huntington Beach, California plunged into the water in the city’s Newport Beach area, as dozens of onlookers witnessed the crash.
“We can confirm that our police helicopter, HB1, crash landed in the Newport Beach area. Rescue efforts are underway & more information will be released when available,” the police department said in a tweet.
A 14-year police department veteran, identified as 44-year-old Nicholas Vella, died in the crash, police chief Eric Parra was quoted as saying at a press conference on Saturday night by the Associated Press.
“The city of Huntington Beach, the residents of Huntington Beach, the Huntington Beach Police Department and the law enforcement community have lost an officer who was truly dedicated to his job and was doing what he loved doing,” Mr Parra said.
“This is a difficult night for all of us and I would ask for your prayers and support as we support our officers’ families.”
A second unnamed officer, who is a 16-year veteran, is in stable condition, the police department tweeted.
The incident in Huntington was first reported around 6.45pm.
The chopper was reportedly spinning out of control when it crashed into the water.
An investigation into the incident will be conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Major Accident Reconstruction Team.
