February 28th 2024.
A startling video has surfaced, capturing the terrifying moment a tourist helicopter crashed onto a building shortly after takeoff. The onlookers were left in shock as the helicopter collided with the structure, getting lodged between the wall and the antenna on Monday evening. Despite the harrowing ordeal, all six passengers on board were able to survive the crash, but had to be rescued from a restaurant rooftop in the bustling city of Medellin, Colombia.
One of the passengers, 36-year-old American tourist Francisco Salas, can be heard in the footage speaking to emergency services in both Spanish and English. The helicopter had been hurtling through the air before the incident occurred. "I've been in a helicopter crash. We are very high up and waiting for the police and rescue team," he can be heard saying. For a grueling 45 minutes, Salas held onto a woman who was struggling to support herself due to her body weight, while also using his phone to call his parents and say his final goodbyes.
The rescue operation was a massive undertaking, involving over 70 emergency responders. Among the passengers on the ill-fated flight were Salas' girlfriend, Luisa Osorio, a Colombian national; two women from Costa Rica, Sandy Villalobos Marin, 34, and Karen Rivera Picada, 36; and Colombian national and co-pilot, Jaime Andres Echeverri. Unfortunately, Echeverri suffered a fractured leg in the crash, while the pilot, identified as 32-year-old Brian Michel Alvarez, miraculously survived.
The helicopter involved in the crash was a Bell 206, typically used for short tourist trips lasting around 12 to 15 minutes over Medellin. An investigation into the cause of the crash is currently underway.
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