A chartered helicopter crashed into Biscayne Bay near Miami on Wednesday, resulting in one fatality and two injuries. The accident occurred shortly before noon off Key Biscayne near Bill Baggs State Park, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities stated that the Robinson R44 II helicopter was filming boats in the water at the time of the incident. When marine patrol units arrived, they assisted a Good Samaritan who was attempting to rescue one of the victims. Despite life-saving efforts by Miami firefighters, that individual died. Border protection officers located the two other male occupants and transferred them to rescue workers, who transported them to a hospital in critical condition.
Emergency responders from multiple local agencies, alongside the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, deployed to the scene. Footage from local news affiliates showed the aircraft inverted in the water with emergency floats attached to its landing skids.
Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz noted that South Florida had experienced heavy showers in the preceding days, though investigators have not yet determined whether weather played a role in the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the cause of the accident. Officials have withheld the identities of the occupants pending notification.
