Helicopter Horror: Brothers’ Miracle Escape as Chopper Plunges into Lake in Front of Stunned Anglers
- Two brothers, businessmen from Jundiaí, survived a helicopter crash into a lake in São Roque, southeastern Brazil.
- Their two-seat Guimbal Cabri G2 helicopter spiralled out of control and plunged into the water just 300 metres short of its destination.
- Witnesses rushed to the scene, wading and swimming towards the wreckage to rescue the brothers, who miraculously escaped with only minor injuries.
In a heart-stopping moment, a helicopter tailspinned out of control and crashed into a lake in São Roque, southeastern Brazil, just metres from stunned anglers enjoying a quiet afternoon by the water.
Shocking footage shows the light aircraft spiralling down before slamming into the lake, sending people sprinting from the water’s edge and others diving in to help. Within seconds, locals and fishermen were wading – then swimming – towards the wreckage to pull the two trapped brothers to safety.
The chopper took off from the city’s airport around midday, bound for lunch at a nearby restaurant, Vila Don Patto, but never made it. The men, who have not been named, miraculously survived, with one suffering only a cut to his hand.
“I live by the lake and saw the chopper losing altitude and spinning in the air until it crashed into the lake,” said witness Eduardo Alexandre Souza. “I immediately ran towards the water and jumped in to help those hurt.”
Local firefighters confirmed the pair’s survival in a statement, saying that the aircraft had crashed into the water at Estrada do Vinho in São Roque, involving three vehicles but no fire. They added that two people had been on board, one of whom required medical attention for a hand injury, and that the area was secure.
Video shared by Brazilian outlet Rede Voa shows the moment the chopper nosedives into the lake as onlookers flee. Seconds later, rescuers can be seen splashing through the water, while a fishing boat rows frantically towards the sinking aircraft.
Authorities said the helicopter – registration PS-VNT – was performing scenic flights in the region before the crash. The São Paulo Public Security Secretariat confirmed that technical experts from Brazil’s Cenipa (Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center) and the Criminalistics Institute are investigating.
In a statement, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) said: “Teams from Cenipa are carrying out the so-called ‘Initial Action’, a stage in which data is collected and verified, elements of the site are preserved and the damage to the aircraft is assessed, to gather information that will support the investigation of the causes of the accident.”
The incident comes after a separate air tragedy in Brazil last month that claimed the lives of four people – including a world-renowned architect and two acclaimed filmmakers – when their light aircraft crashed and exploded in the country’s Pantanal wetlands.