Parents feared dead after chopper crash
First responders to a fatal helicopter crash ripped the front window off the downed aircraft to free survivors, fearing it would catch fire.
Two parents are feared dead and their children badly injured after a helicopter crash north of Kaiko¯ ura.
The aircraft went down on a rocky beach at the mouth of the Kekerengu River about 12.40pm yesterday, after witnesses say it spiralled out of control.
First responders ripped the front window off the downed aircraft to free survivors, fearing it would catch fire.
It is understood those killed were the parents of the children, who were later airlifted to Wellington Hospital.
Stuff understands the helicopter was owned by Andrew Hamish Davidson, of Kaiapoi. Davidson, who according to his LinkedIn, was the general manager at Enatel Motive Power, incorporated helicopter charter company Glenloch Helicopters Limited on September 28.
Kekerengu resident Ian Mehrtens said when he first spotted the helicopter from his lodge, it looked like it was coming in to land.
‘‘It all happened so quick ... it looked normal and then it just started to spiral,’’ he said.
‘‘It just got out of control so quickly.’’
Mehrtens rushed to the scene across the road on a quad bike. About four or five members of the public were already there. The front window was pulled off to free survivors.
He said he carried a young girl out of the wreckage.
‘‘There was nothing you could do except get them [passengers] out of there. Especially because there’s a chance [the helicopter] could catch on fire.
‘‘We were lucky there was a tall guy down there helping. He was able to reach over and grab the passengers.’’
The helicopter was just in the sea, which was at low tide at the time.
A tractor dragged the helicopter out of the water, Mehrtens said.
A police spokesman said further details about the dead and injured, including ages and genders, would not be released until family had been contacted.