Everglades helicopter crash injures flight instructor and student

A training helicopter crashed in a remote area of the Everglades near Miramar, Florida, on Saturday morning. The aircraft, a Robinson R22, was flying at a low altitude when it made contact with the ground and overturned on its side in the Bass Creek area.

The two occupants, a flight instructor and a student, survived the accident with only minor injuries. Both were conscious and able to move on their own when reached by emergency responders. Due to the inhospitable grassland terrain, rescue teams had to conduct a complex technical hoisting operation, using a helicopter to lower a firefighter by cable to reach the victims.

The incident involved multiple agencies, including Broward Fire Rescue, Pembroke Pines Fire and Rescue, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office Air and Water Rescue units. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the circumstances of the rollover.