Two helicopters collided at Sea World on the Gold Coast, leaving four people dead and numerous others hurt.
13 individuals were being evaluated after the crash, which happened at around 2 o’clock local time, according to a Queensland Ambulance spokesperson.
Images show both of the participating helicopters laying on the sand, severely damaged, with emergency personnel swarming all around them. “Sea World Helicopters” is written on at least one aircraft.
A pilot and three passengers from one of the helicopters were killed in the crash, according to The Gold Coast Bulletin. A mother and two little boys, the other three passengers from the flight, have been transported to Gold Coast University Hospital because they are in critical condition.
According to reports, the pilot of the other helicopter, which was carrying five passengers, was able to land on a sand bank in the Broadwater, sparing any additional lives.
The public has been warned to stay away from SeaWorld Drive since it has been blocked to traffic.
One aircraft did manage to land after the accident, according to a Queensland Police spokesman, who was unable to say how many persons had died.
Early investigations suggest that two helicopters collided at roughly 2:00 p.m., causing the tragedy. One successfully landed,” according to the police.
Emergency services are on the scene, and the other helicopter has wounded.
According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, Dang Nguyen and Julie Gill, two witnesses, saw “two helicopters smash into each other.”
Another witness reported seeing the incident with her daughter online.
“Users on both (helicopters). Thankfully, we did not land in Sea World. All I can do is pray. I hope a tragedy is avoided.
Another user commented, “We heard a huge bang and saw pieces of debris flying.”
One of the planes was “in a spiral with the cockpit glass breaking away after contact,” a Sea World guest told.
It appears that one of the helicopters was taking off when it collided with another one, which was landing.
A dad who was with his little son inside Sea World at the time of the alleged collision reported hearing “a big explosion.”
“Some Sea World employees were sprinting outside as I was just out for a stroll with my son. There was a huge blast, but I wasn’t really sure what had happened, John told.
To prevent people from gazing out into the sea, they have now shuttered that side of the park. Pretty frightening things.
A safety investigation into the incident has been launched by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
“ATSB investigators will examine the debris and map the accident scene during the evidence gathering phase of the investigation,” the bureau stated.
At the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra, investigators will also recover any pertinent components for additional examination, collect any accessible recorded data for analysis, and interview witnesses and any parties who may be involved.
