Intense new footage was shared on Saturday depicting the chaotic scene as bystanders rushed to assist a boy trapped beneath a crashed helicopter at a California beach.
The alarming video captures a Bell 22SP helicopter, piloted by Eric Nixon, losing control during the Cars N Copters event in Huntington Beach, which occurred around 2 p.m.
When the helicopter came down on coastal steps, onlookers scattered, and a girl could be seen peering at the wreckage before running away in fear.
As people approached the site, they discovered the child, named Oliver Holland by his family. I see you trapped underneath. Two men quickly went to help him just before the footage concluded.
Later, Nixon shared that he and his passenger were not severely hurt; however, two adults and a child were taken to the hospital with injuries. The seriousness of those injuries isn’t yet clear.
Authorities have not released the names of those in the helicopter or any injured individuals on the ground.
His sister posted on a GoFundMe page aimed at covering medical expenses, expressing, “We wish him a successful recovery, but we can’t say anything else. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
According to her, Oliver was enjoying a beach day when the helicopter unexpectedly malfunctioned and crashed on him. He’s currently undergoing surgery, having suffered a collapsed lung and a brain hemorrhage.
By Sunday evening, over $30,000 had been collected for Oliver’s medical needs.
Witnesses reported that the helicopter’s rotor detached and began spinning uncontrollably.
One onlooker, Jackson Hetchert, remarked, “It was spinning in a weird way. I thought, ‘Hmm, maybe they’re up to something.’ Then it started spinning faster, and I thought, ‘No, that’s broken.’
“First, the tail rotor broke off, and then it seemed like something hit the main rotor blades.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
