Authorities in Australia reported on Monday that four persons were killed and three others were critically injured in a midair crash between two helicopters. Around 2:00 p.m. local time, a collision occurred close to Main Beach on the Gold Coast, which is south of Brisbane. According to Queensland Police Inspector Gary Worrell, a regional duty officer for the southeast district, “Those two aircraft, while colliding, had crash landed on the beach bank just out from Sea World Resort.”
Photos from the scene show employees assembled on land, the wreckage strewn on a strip of sand, and numerous vessels in the nearby waterways
He noted that despite being close to the coast, the sand bank had been challenging for rescue personnel to reach. According to Jayney Shearman from the Queensland Ambulance Service, there were 13 individuals on the two helicopters (QAS). Of those, four people died, three suffered serious injuries, and six had minor injuries, including cuts from shattered glass. All the injured had been taken to hospital, she said.
Photos from the scene show employees assembled on land, the wreckage strewn on a strip of sand, and numerous vessels in the nearby waterways. Worrell stated that although it is too soon to ascertain the precise cause of the accident, preliminary information indicates that the two helicopters collided as one was taking off and the other was landing.
Helicopter number two had crashed, and it was on its side
The windscreen of one helicopter has been taken off, and it has safely landed on the island. Helicopter number two had crashed, and it was on its side. After the crash, he said, local law enforcement and members of the public flocked to the scene in an effort to rescue and treat people aboard the chopper.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s (ATSB) Chief Commissioner, Angus Mitchell, announced in a statement that an investigation into the crash had begun. Mitchell stated that investigators from the ATSB’s Brisbane and Canberra offices will be sent to the scene to gather information, examine the wreckage, map the area, and speak with witnesses and other interested parties.
He requested that anyone who saw the crash or the helicopters in flight get in touch with the investigation. According to him, a preliminary report will be released in the following six to eight weeks, followed by a full report once the inquiry is over. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk posted a message on Twitter in which she offered her “deepest sympathy” to those impacted, including the families of the fatalities. “What has happened on the Gold Coast today is an unthinkable tragedy,” she said. Police say Sea World Drive has been closed to traffic and urged motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area.
The primary entrance to the popular tourist destination marine park located in the Gold Coast’s central business district is Sea World Drive. Now that schools are out for the long summer break, the area is experiencing its busiest travel season.