A police helicopter crashed into the water in Newport Bay, California on Saturday evening – the same day that another helicopter crashed into the ocean in Miami Beach, Florida.
The Huntington Beach Police Department confirmed in a statement on Saturday that one of its helicopters “crash landed in the Newport Beach area” and revealed that rescue efforts were underway.
Two pilots were subsequently taken to trauma centers in the area.
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.
— Huntington Beach PD (@HBPoliceDept) February 20, 2022
DJ Justin Martin witnessed the crash from a nearby boat and claimed that the helicopter had been “spinning out of control.”
“Crashed less than 150 feet from our boat… still shaken up from what we just saw,” Martin tweeted, along with a photo of the falling helicopter.
It was directly above us spinning out of control.. crashed less than 150 feet from our boat… still shaken up from what we just saw.. crazy
— Justin Martin (@justinmartin) February 20, 2022
Martin claimed beachgoers soon jumped into the water to aid the injured pilots, while another witness said it looked like the pilot put the helicopter into the water in an effort to “avoid hitting anything else.”
Despite this, the witness suggested that a third person “may have been struck” in the accident.
It was not the only helicopter to crash on an American beach on Saturday. Two people were hospitalized earlier in the day after a helicopter crashed into the water in Miami Beach, Florida. The helicopter crashed close to sunbathing beachgoers, and swimmers were recorded approaching the wreckage in an effort to aid the pilots.
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