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Two parents are feared dead and their children seriously injured after a helicopter crash north of Kaikōura.
The plane hit a rocky beach at the mouth of the Kekerengu River around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, after witnesses said it spun out of control.
First responders tore the front window of the downed plane to free the survivors, fearing it would catch fire.
It is understood that the dead were the children’s parents, who were later airlifted to Wellington Hospital.
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Stuff understands that the helicopter was owned by Andrew Hamish Davidson of Kaiapoi. Davidson, who according to his LinkedIn was the CEO of Enatel Motive Power, incorporated helicopter rental company Glenloch Helicopters Limited on September 28.
BRYA INGRAM / THINGS
A helicopter crashed north of Kaikōura, leaving two dead and three injured.
Kekerengu resident Ian Mehrtens said that when he first saw the helicopter from his accommodation, it looked like it was coming ashore.
“It all happened so fast … it looked normal and then it started to spiral,” he said.
“It just got out of control so fast.”
Scott Hammond / Stuff
A helicopter crashed north of Kaikōura, leaving two dead and three injured.
Mehrtens raced to the scene across the street on a quad bike. About four or five members of the public were already there. The front window was opened to release the survivors.
He said he pulled a girl out of the rubble.
“There was nothing you could do except get them [passengers] out of there. Especially since there is a possibility [the helicopter] it could catch fire.
CONTROL POINT / RNZ
Two people were killed and three seriously injured in a helicopter crash north of Kaikōura on Monday.
“We were lucky there was a tall guy helping. He was able to come up and grab the passengers. “
The helicopter was at sea, which was at low tide at the time.
Scott Hammond / Stuff
The downed helicopter is believed to be an EC120.
A tractor dragged the helicopter out of the water, Mehrtens said.
Emergency services arrived “pretty quickly,” he said. The first response came from local farmers.
A staff member from The Store in Kekerengu said the helicopter was reaching land when it crashed onto the beach.
Maia Hart / Stuff
Eyewitnesses described seeing the helicopter spiraling as it fell to the ground.
“The helicopter is not in the sea, but a tractor has pulled it away from the ocean as it was starting to smoke.”
He said that the locals had been incredible in their quick response to the accident.
A police spokesman said no further details about the dead and injured, including ages and genders, would be released until the family had been contacted.
BRYA INGRAM / THINGS
Rescuers at the accident site near the water.
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission have also been informed.
The downed helicopter is believed to be an EC120, which is believed to be overdue.
A spokeswoman for the New Zealand Transport Agency said the accident was not related to a close haere ra (farewell) of the recovery of North Canterbury’s transport infrastructure for Kaikōura residents following repairs to the state highway. 1 after the 2016 earthquake.
BRYA INGRAM / STUFF / Marlborough Express
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission have been informed.
Three helicopters were called to the crash site, one from Christchurch, Nelson and Wellington, along with fire, police and ambulance services.
Darryl Papesch, who is from the National Headquarters of Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz), was in the area at the time.
“We were at the fire station just down the street when we got the call,” Papesch said.
“We had [fire] Kaikōura and Seddon services, so we had between 16 and 20 people here. “
Volunteers and community members did a good job with the “chaotic situation,” he said.
