Officer killed as helicopter plunges into water
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. Following the latest accident in California, both pilots were rushed to the hospital, and one of them eventually succumbed to his injuries – the other pilot remains in critical condition.
The victim, Nicholas Vella, 44, worked for 14 years as a police officer.
The Huntington Beach Police Department confirmed in a statement on Saturday that one of its helicopters “crash landed in the Newport Beach area.”
It is so far unknown what caused the fatal crash.
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
#Breaking helicopter crash in #NewportBeach Search boats in the water #NBCLApic.twitter.com/oaXbVzDqd7
— AlexVnews (@alexvnews) February 20, 2022
DJ Justin Martin witnessed the crash from a nearby boat and said 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
Seconds before it hit the water... 📸 by my buddy @aslannpic.twitter.com/pr4VN4lJpW
— Justin Martin (@justinmartin) February 20, 2022
Martin also said beachgoers jumped into the water to aid the pilots, while another witness claimed it looked like the pilot put the helicopter into the water in an effort to “avoid hitting anything else.”
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 near sunbathing beachgoers, and swimmers were recorded approaching the wreckage in an effort to aid the pilots.
