A helicopter crashed into the waters of Biscayne Bay. Photo: Shutterstock Another fatal air accident occurred yesterday (Wednesday, November 4) in Florida, when a Robinson R44 II light helicopter crashed into the waters of Biscayne Bay, near Key Biscayne, in the Miami area.
According to a US Coast Guard statement, the accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time. There were three people on board the helicopter.
Emergency forces called to the scene launched a combined rescue operation. The Coast Guard later confirmed that one of the helicopter's occupants was killed and the other two were rescued and transferred to advanced medical treatment.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the two injured were classified as trauma victims, were first transported by ground rescue teams to an evacuation point, and from there were flown by rescue helicopter to a medical center specializing in treating serious injuries.
The crash site is near Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, a popular coastal area southeast of downtown Miami.
In the footage released from the scene, the helicopter is seen upside down in the water, with the yellow emergency buoys attached to its landing system visible above the water's surface.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue Services, and other emergency services participated in the rescue operation.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it has opened a formal investigation into the circumstances of the accident.
According to initial information from investigators, the helicopter appears to have been on a photography flight at the time of the incident. However, it has not yet been determined what caused the crash, and no conclusion has been issued regarding technical failure, weather conditions, or human error.
The incident comes just days after an executive plane crashed in Florida on November 1, killing all nine people on board.
Both accidents occurred in the same country within a short period of time, but at this point there is no information indicating a connection between them.
The NTSB is investigating the two incidents separately.