Two helicopters collided mid-air on Monday, killing four and seriously injuring three at Gold Coast Broadwater Southport Australia, AFP reports.
According to the report by AFP, a mid-air collision between the two helicopters in Gold Coast Broadwater Southport Australia left four people dead and three others in critical condition, authorities said on Monday. Six other people were being treated for minor injuries, according to local media outlet Nine News Gold Coast.
The collision happened around 2pm local time on the Gold Coast Broadwater Southport, World water park, south of Brisbane.
Television images show the rotors of a device lying on a sandbar a few meters from the shore. The other helicopter appeared largely intact at the crash site.
“This is a business associated with Sea World with an operator within a very large corporate circle,” Neil Hansford, the chairman of Strategic Aviation Solutions, told Sky News Australia.
After the accident, a rescue helicopter landed on the sand, while dozens of rescuers spread out on the ground. Several police and rescue vessels stood ready to intervene near the sandbar strewn with debris from the two helicopters
The exact cause of the collision is not known but it appears that one helicopter was taking off when the other was landing, according to Queensland Police Inspector Gary Worrell. The one that landed safely had lost its windshield, while the other crashed and overturned.
The inspector pointed out that passers-by had rushed to extract passengers from the aircraft whose cabin had turned over.
“Members of the public and the police tried to get people out and started (to give) first aid to try to get them to safety,” added the policeman, before “thanking everyone who helped and allowed to take these people to emergency care”.
The Australian Transport Safety Board announced the opening of an investigation into the accident, presented as a “mid-air collision”. Investigators were expected on site to examine the wreckage, map the site and recover investigative material, the office said in a statement. The office appealed to witnesses who may have seen the helicopters in flight or have footage.