A rescue helicopter has crashed into the living room of a resident in an apartment building near a school in Florida, and black smoke can be seen rising from the scene.
According to Miror.uk, the aircraft—a Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue helicopter—went down into an apartment building in Pompano Beach, near Blanche Ely High School. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue confirmed two people were transported to Broward Health Medical Center, but their injuries were not critical. One other person was onboard, but their status is currently unknown.
A video from a witness showed the helicopter in distress before it went down, and black smoke can be seen coming from the tail as it slowly descends. In another video, the helicopter breaks up, goes into a tailspin, and plummets to the ground.
Another two civilians, who were brothers, were hospitalized after trying to get people in the helicopter away from the fire. Their injuries were not critical either.
“At approximately 8:46 a.m. emergency personnel responded to a call of an aircraft alert located southwest of the Pompano Beach Airpark. The helicopter involved in the crash is a BSO Fire Rescue helicopter. Pompano Beach Fire Rescue transported two people to an area hospital,” the Broward County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
A sister of one civilian said, “I’m trying to find out what’s happening with my brothers. They’re at the hospital, and I just got a phone call from my son, and I don’t know what’s going on.”
A gaping hole was left in the roof of the apartment building. At least five fire engines attended the scene after the incident, which caused the aircraft to erupt into flames, at around 8.45 a.m., and an area of nearby Dixie Highway is currently closed.
One of the family members of a victim said their relative was rushed to the hospital when the helicopter landed right in their living room. “When I was inside, there was a ‘pop, pop, pop, pop.’ There was fire (inaudible) everywhere,” a resident in the apartment building added.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed a Eurocopter EC135 helicopter "crashed into a structure." A nearby school was also left in a precautionary state because of "an incident involving an aircraft that happened in the nearby area (off campus)."