On February 19, a helicopter crash occurred into the Atlantic Ocean near Miami Beach close to swimmers and sunbathers. The aircraft was carrying three passengers at the time.
As per a tweet by Miami Beach Police, two passengers were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. According to Miami Beach Police Public Information Officer Ernesto Rodriguez, their condition was stated to be "stable," while the third passenger did not sustain any injuries.
As of now, it is unclear as to which of the three people available onboard was the pilot.
The tweet further revealed that the helicopter crash occurred at 1:10 PM in the afternoon near 10th Street.
The tweet included a video of a helicopter falling into the ocean near populated areas of swimmers and beachgoers.
According to police, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the scene, and beach access was blocked between 9th and 11th streets for two blocks.
In a statement to CNN, the FAA said that the helicopter was a Robinson R44. No cause for the crash has been identified.
"The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates."
The beach visitors were shocked to see a helicopter crash in front of them
Sean Adams, who was vacationing in Miami Beach with his wife from Las Vegas, described the helicopter crash as a "harrowing experience" to outlet WPLG.
According to Adams, who happens to be an aircraft mechanic, the helicopter went back and forth several times over the deep water before it crashed. When it tipped over after it crashed, people ran to the scene.
"These are things you never want to see or talk about. It was 50 yards from the beach, right next to everybody. It was crazy that nobody got hurt."
According to Adams, the pilot exited the aircraft and the passengers were "a little unconscious" and "in shock," as they were being assisted out of the helicopter.
Another traveler, Ana Diaz, told WPLG that she was swimming in the ocean when her family called for her to come to shore as they watched the helicopter descend.
Diaz, who was on vacation with her family from Colombia, said she was only six or eight meters from where the crash happened. She described the crash scene as being like a scene from a Hollywood movie with extremely loud noises when the plane hit the water.
She said she was "really scared" and was swimming towards her family, describing the moment of the helicopter crash as "very tough" for her.