Sea World helicopter survivors relive crash

Four New Zealand tourists that survived the Sea World chopper disaster have relived the harrowing day they thought they were going to die.

Bloodied passengers in the aftermath of the Sea World helicopter crash

Survivors of the Sea World helicopter tragedy have recounted the horrific moments leading up to and following the midair collision that claimed four lives.

In an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday night, Elmarie Steenberg, a passenger of the helicopter that managed to land safely, told of the moment she saw blood on her friend Marle Swart.

“I saw the helicopter underneath and I just knew we were in serious trouble and I remember saying, please God help us,” Ms Steenberg said.

“I honestly thought that was it. I was like, ‘We are going to do die today.’ ”

On January 2, two Sea World helicopters on joy flights collided in mid-air, one crashing and killing four people and the other managing to land safely on a sand bank.

Mrs Steenberg her husband Riaan and their friends Edward and Marle Swart were among the nine people who survived, and have described how their physical and mental scars are still healing.

“It’s very real, it’s not easy to know that we survived and others didn’t,” Mr Swart said.

The New Zealanders were on a holiday to the Gold Coast when the incident occurred.

Mr Swart filmed the incident from his mobile phone capturing the moment he tried to warn the pilot about the other helicopter.

“I noticed the helicopter on the landing pad, I didn’t think much of it I thought it was waiting until we landed. As we turned left to come back into land we saw it take off,” Mr Swart said.

“I tried to warn the pilot there’s another helicopter coming our way but it was too quick; I knew it was too late.

Bloodied passengers in the aftermath of the Sea World helicopter crash

“It came up with such a speed, it was so fast it was unbelievable.”

With the entire front of the helicopter torn off on impact, the pilot managed to land safely on the sand bank with both women bearing the brunt of the crash.

“When we landed everyone was running towards us. People were screaming at us, it’s gonna blow, it’s gonna blow,” Mrs Swart said.

“That’s the hardest thing there was so many people running towards the chopper and it was just normal people who passed, that could have been us.”

The Swarts and Steenbergs have been interviewed by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau as well as Queensland police.

An investigation into the cause of the incident remains ongoing.

Elmarie Steenberg and Marle Swart in hospital