Two people are dead and four others injured after a Florida rescue helicopter crashed into an apartment building while on its way to an emergency.
Dramatic footage shows the smoking chopper spiralling from the sky and smashing into the roof of a home in Pompano Beach on Monday morning (local time).
The helicopter’s Captain Terryson Jackson, 50, was confirmed dead and a female resident of the building was also killed.
Miraculously, two others on board the craft survived the fiery impact and were seen crawling from the burning wreckage.
They were rescued and amazingly walked away from the scene.
A family living in the three-apartment building told 7 News Miami the helicopter landed in their living room.
The crash reportedly set off a fire that destroyed at least two of the apartments.
Two men who were staying at the apartment were rushed to hospital.
“Our family has been through a lot. We just lost our mum in October and my little brother just the year before, so for this to be happening right now, it feels like something on our family,” a family member told 7 News Miami.
“I’m just gonna pray with my family and my siblings so that we can pull through and make the best out of this.”
One woman told the network that her roommate, who was in a wheelchair, was inside the building at the time of the crash and was rushed out.
The Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue helicopter had been on its way to a car crash in North Lauderdale when it went down, according to reports.
It took off from Pompano Air Park but three minutes later suffered engine failure.
Broward County Sherrif Gregory Tony said the deceased captain was a 19-year veteran of the sheriff’s office.
“This tragedy is really going to challenge us as a community, as every single tragedy has done since this agency has been around,” he said. “I will tell you we are hurting,” he said.
“We are going to suffer, we are going to hurt, but this community should know we’re prepared to answer the next call.
“We are not going to lose our focus even though we are hurting and dealing with our own tragedy.”
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