An air rescue flight paramedic and a woman who was in her home were killed and four people were hospitalized after a Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue helicopter crashed into an apartment building in Pompano Beach Monday morning, officials said.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said three crewmembers were onboard the helicopter when it went down around 8:45 a.m. in the area of North Dixie Highway and Atlantic Boulevard, southwest of the Pompano Beach Airpark.
Cell phone footage from a witness showed smoke and flames coming from the helicopter before it spun around and quickly fell from the sky. The tail of the chopper appeared to be damaged and coming apart as it made its downward spiraling descent.
BSO officials said the chopper was heading to a vehicle crash scene in North Lauderdale when it crashed into a one-story multi-unit apartment building.
Witness footage showed a portion of the building completely on fire with thick black smoke rising into the air.
"On top of the roof was all fire, a big ball of fire, that's all, and then like I said a second explosion," witness Ruben Chavez said. "We felt the heat, so that's when we said 'okay, we've got to go.'"
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Crews were seen pouring water onto the building, which had a massive hole in its roof. Two yellow tarps were seen covering the bodies inside.
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"All of a sudden I heard something go boom, really loud," said one woman who lives in the area. "I thought it was a train crashing into a car. I didn’t know what it was, and then the power went off. I heard everyone screaming.”
At a news conference later Monday, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said Capt. Terryson Jackson, a flight paramedic who was on the helicopter, was killed in the crash.
"Unfortunately, in the crash, he was trapped, could not get out, and we lost him," Tony said.
A second person who was in her home was also killed when the helicopter went down, Tony said. Her identity wasn't released.
Two helicopter crewmembers were able to crawl to safety after the crash, Tony said. They were identified as pilot Daron Roche, 37, and paramedic Mikael "Mike" Chaguaceda, 31.
Witness video showed the two crewmembers climbing down the roof of the building shortly after the crash.
The two helicopter crewmembers and two civilians who were injured on the ground were transported to a local hospital from the scene, BSO officials said.
Family members identified the civilians as Lorenzo Snell and Terran Vandiver. They said Snell and Vandiver were in one of the building's units and tried to help after the crash.
"They were able to climb out of a window and make it to the garbage bin. When they got behind there, the plane exploded," said Quiana Carter, the sister of Snell and Vandiver. "My brother Lorenzo tried to help one of the passengers get out. He said that the plane was right there and the propeller was there and he just couldn’t get to him."
BSO spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright said all of the people hospitalized were in fair condition.
One man said his wife, who is eight months pregnant, was in the unit next to where the helicopter crashed. He said she was taken to the hospital for her nerves but was okay.
Tony said the helicopter crew experienced a mechanical issue and put out a distress signal as a fire broke out on board shortly after it was in the air. He said the crew was able to radio that they wouldn't be making it to the scene of the North Lauderdale vehicle crash before they went down.
"As they were fighting for their life, they were worried about somebody else's," Tony said. "What else can you say about that type of character?"
Tony said the 50-year-old Jackson had been with BSO for around 19 years and said he knew him very well.
"Terryson was a rock star, he was one of the best of us, one of the brighest, he bled this profession inside and out, all day long," Tony said.
Dixie Highway was shutdown between Northeast 5th Street and Northeast 10th Street and was expected to be closed throughout the day.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the cause of the crash.
Tony said he had grounded BSO’s aircraft fleet until the helicopters are re-inspected out of an abundance of caution.
"We are hurting," Tony said. "We're gonna suffer, we're gonna hurt but this community should know, we're prepared to answer the next call, we're not gonna lose our focus even though we're hurting and we're dealing with our own tragedy."
No other information was immediately known.
Check back with NBC6 for updates.
