Gold Coast helicopter crash witness describes one taking off and one landing as rotors hit

A witness who saw two helicopters collide says it was “horrific” but described the performance of hero pilot who steadied one chopper and landed as “medal” worthy. Read witness accounts.

A witness to a twin Gold Coast helicopter crash says one had just taken off as another was coming down near Sea World - and the pilot who managed to land deserves “a medal”.

Visitor Tor Kumpel said he was on a day off with his wife having a swim at the Broadwater when he saw the carnage unfold across the water and two helicopters collide.

“I could see two helicopters. One was coming up and the other one was coming down and the back rotor collected the one coming down,” he said.

Mr Kumpel said one of the choppers then crashed but the other helicopter managed to “somehow” steady and land.

Tor Kumpel who saw the two helicopters collide: “I could see two helicopters. One was coming up and the other one was coming down.” Picture: Glenn Hampson

“It was only one helicopter that crashed. It was horrific to see.

“The (pilot) who was in the other one landed that. They deserve a medal. It took a bit to steady but they did it.”

Witnesses to the collision and crash of one helicopter said it sounds like lightening. Picture Glenn Hampson

Aaron Cooper witnessed the incident from across the Broadwater and posted a video of the second helicopter shaking while it descended just seconds after the crash.

“Pretty much we said ‘both helicopters were flying a bit close to each other’ and with in two seconds, the helicopter (that managed to land) hit the tail of the other helicopter, sending its tail into the water and pivoting upside down straight into the ground. The other helicopter managed to stabilise and land,” Mr Cooper said.

Eyewitness Aaron Cooper. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Holiday-maker Amii McDermott witnessed the crash while standing in line at the Vortex ride at Sea World.

The Blue Mountains resident, who works as an emergency dispatcher, was enjoying the last day of her family holiday when the crash occurred just before 2pm.

“My son said there were two helicopters coming at the same time and I’d never seen that but then one turned and hit the other with its tail,” she said.

Emergency services at the scene of a two-helicopter collision at Main Beach near Seaworld. Picture: Jonathan Gyde

“I’d never seen anything like this before and I thought, ‘oh my god what is going on?’.

“There was debris everywhere, the tail fell off one of them and the helicopter nosedived into the ground at full-speed.”

The 42-year-old said she and her family were left shocked and devastated by what they had seen.

“It’s horrifying. My toddlers don’t know what they have seen but my older kids realise what they saw,” she said.

“I saw the emergency services arrive and I heard them yell ‘Get as many defibs as you can’.

“I knew nobody was going to walk away from that without injury.”

The wreckage of two helicopters which collided on Monday afternoon near Sea World above the Broadwater. One crashed and the pilot of the other managed to steady it and land. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Witnesses have described hearing a huge crash “like the movies” when two helicopters crashed above the Broadwater on Monday afternoon.

Brisbane woman Cheryl Cook was enjoying a waterside picnic with her family in the Southport Broadwater Parklands when she saw the crash.

“Two helicopters, I think one was going and one was coming,” she said.

“They hit each other.”

She described how one the rotor of one chopper hit the tail of the other.

Emergency services at the scene of a two-helicopter collision at Main Beach near Sea World. Picture: Jonathan Gyde

Ms Cook said one went down first before the other tried to right itself and landed on the sand.

She described the sound of the crash as like thunder.

“It was like in the movies,” she said.

Gold Coaster Aaron Cooper said he saw the two choppers collide.

He also saw one chopper’s rotor hit the tail of the other.

“I thought they were a bit close,” he said.

“It was like a gunshot.”

Another Brisbane woman told the Bulletin the crash sounded like lightning.

The Bulletin saw someone being pulled from the wreckage before they were worked on for about 15 minutes before being taken ashore and put into an ambulance.

Families had packed the Broadwater Parklands for the New Year’s Day public holiday.

Many did not see the crash.

Gold Coasters who saw the crash also took to social media to describe what they had seen.

On Facebook Nikki Lee said she saw it happen from her living room.

“We heard a huge bang and one of them falling,” she said.

“So many down there enjoying their holidays. Quite the shock to witness and so very sad for the people who have lost their lives.”

Allan Laws said on Facebook he heard rather than saw the crash.

“Very sad I was at Australia Fair Shopping centre heard all noise was very loud. Doesn’t look good,” he said.

Originally published as Gold Coast helicopter crash witness describes one taking off and one landing as rotors hit