Three injured as helicopter sinks in Biscayne Bay near Key Biscayne

Three men were injured when a Robinson R44 II helicopter crashed into Biscayne Bay near Bill Baggs State Park off Key Biscayne on Wednesday. Two survivors were transported to a trauma center in critical but stable condition, while a third man did not survive the incident, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

The aircraft went down late in the morning while the occupants were taking photos of boats in the area. Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz confirmed during a news conference on Wednesday afternoon that all three victims were adult males. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. While South Florida has experienced heavy showers in the past few days, it is not yet known if the weather played a role in the accident.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including local rescue workers, the U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Border protection officers located the two men who survived the initial impact and handed them over to Miami-Dade rescue workers for transport to the hospital.

Marine patrol units from the sheriff’s office arrived to find a Good Samaritan attempting to assist one of the victims and move him toward shore. Miami firefighters attempted to resuscitate the bystander, but he did not survive, Cordero-Stutz said. Television footage captured the wreckage upside down underwater. The helicopter had two yellow emergency floats attached to its landing skids, designed to help keep the aircraft afloat during a water landing.

Officials had not identified the three occupants as of Wednesday afternoon. The sheriff’s office stated that staff were working to notify family members of the victims.

Two yellow floats were visible on the submerged aircraft in video footage. The emergency devices are intended to provide buoyancy during water landings. The crash occurred near Bill Baggs State Park. The two survivors were taken to a nearby trauma center.