Nightmare Moment Rescue Chopper Plunges Into Building

A tragic helicopter accident has killed two people after catching fire mid-air and plunging to the ground into a building. "A Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue helicopter crashed into an apartment building in Pompano Beach Monday morning, killing two people and injuring four others, authorities confirmed," reports Local 10. "According to the National Transportation Safety Board, one person onboard the helicopter was killed, along with another person on the ground." Here's exactly what happened and who were the victims.

Broward Sherrif Gregory Tony explained the sequence of events. The helicopter was on its way to North Lauderdale to answer the call of a mother and child. "They were in air within a minute," he said, according to Local 10. "They were 'mayday' and putting out the distress within two minutes, and throughout that time they still had the foresight to notify the local fire department that we weren't going to be able to land and that they needed to be able to get there and rescue these people. So we're talking about the character of these men and women — or these men in this case, on this aviation unit — as they were fighting for their life, they were worried about someone else's."

"Footage from local media shows multiple fire trucks working to quell the blaze after the impact, according to WSVN. Two of those taken to the hospital were crew members of the aircraft, and two more were residents of the building the craft crashed into, according to local media reports," says Fox News.

"With a heavy heart, we announce the untimely loss of a longtime employee, Captain Terryson Jackson, who passed away this morning, August 28, 2023, after a BSO Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services helicopter crashed in Pompano Beach," said Broward Sherrif Gregory Tony. "Captain Jackson proudly served the people of Broward County for 19 years. He began his fire rescue career in March 2004 in Deerfield Beach and joined the BSO family in October 2011 when the two agencies merged. As a flight paramedic, he impacted the community daily, providing critical patients with the highest pre-hospital care. He consistently showed an unmatched passion for the job. He always provided expert care, compassion and reassurance to those during their most significant time of need. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jackson family during this difficult time. His BSO family will forever carry on his legacy."

"Tony confirmed that a woman who was inside the apartment building was killed. He said the two other BSO employees who were onboard the chopper were able to crawl out and survived," says Local 10. "He identified them as Pilot Daron Roche, 37, who has been with BSO for four years and firefighter/paramedic Mikael "Mike" Chaguaceda, 31, who has been with BSO for five years."

Tony "said a fire broke out onboard and then other mechanical issues occurred," reports CBS News. "Video posted online from people in the neighborhood showed smoke coming from the helicopter moments before the crash. An unidentified individual who lives in the eight-unit apartment building told CBS News Miami that she heard a loud crash and shortly afterward was ordered to evacuate the building. A man who works near the crash site said he heard it and rushed to help."

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"The top of the roof was all fire. A big ball of fire, that's all. And then, a second explosion. I ran over there but the police, the first two cops who got there pushed us back and that's when the second explosion happened. We felt the heat and that's when we said we gotta go," said Ruben Chavez, according to CBS News.