A chopper flying near a well-attended southern California shoreline abruptly started spinning out of control, eventually dropping height and plunging into a row of palm trees as onlookers looked on.
Recordings posted on social media depict the aircraft beginning to twirl above the shoreline then descending towards the perimeter of the shore, where it becomes wedged amidst palms and a staircase adjacent to the coastal road.
Emergency Response Information
The Huntington Beach fire department said five persons were taken to hospital including a pair who were in the helicopter and were “extracted safely from the crash site” following the crash on Saturday.
Three people on the road were injured. Details on their condition were not immediately available.
What led to the incident was still under investigation.
Related Gathering
Authorities indicated the chopper was linked to an regular “Cars with Copters” fundraising event set for the next day.
