A 12-minute hired flight turned into a nightmare on Saturday when a passenger partially fell out of the craft and then was crushed on the ground when the helicopter crashed on top of him. The boy was on the flight with his mother who was also seriously injured, along with the pilot of the helicopter.
The lives of the three involved in the crash were saved thanks to citizens who saw what was happening and immediately ran to help move the helicopter off of the boy and pull the mother and pilot out of the craft. One of the bystanders was a former sheriff’s deputy who is now a pilot himself. He saw what happened and realized that the boy was still alive and ran to the scene with other private citizens to begin the rescue effort; and it was an intensely successful effort.
All three people involved sustained injuries ranging from internal issues to broken bones but are alive and stable. The cause of the engine trouble that led to the crash is still unknown. The problems began in route and led the pilot to cut the power and manually land the helicopter. The attempted landing is what tipped the helicopter and caused the boy to partially fall from inside.
While a tragedy, this copter crash was an opportunity for bystanders to step up and show that we can count on our fellow man to come to our rescue when the need arises. In a time of news about murder by our own neighbors it is refreshing to read a story in which everyday people made a great difference in the lives of perfect strangers.
Sometimes the difference between life and death or permanent injury can be mere minutes. No one will ever know what the outcome of this accident would have been had the bystanders stood there waiting for emergency services instead of running to help.
Pulling someone out from under a crashed helicopter or car is not the only way you can help those who have been injured in an accident. Sometimes the results of an accident do not end just because you have left the scene. Encourage those you meet and love to call the attorneys at Christensen Law Firm to find out what compensation could be available to them. Contact us today at 801-506-0800.