Fire and rescue personnel work in the area where a medical rescue helicopter crashed, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
By Terry Spencer
A medical rescue helicopter caught fire and broke apart shortly after takeoff Monday before crashing into an apartment complex near Fort Lauderdale, killing a paramedic captain on board and a resident on the ground, authorities said.
Two others on board and two other people at the apartment complex were injured.
Broward County Fire-Rescue Capt. Terryson Jackson, 49, and a woman died when the Broward Sheriff's Office helicopter crashed through the complex's roof after taking off from Pompano Beach Airpark at about 8:45 a.m., Sheriff Gregory Tony said. He said the four injured were taken to the hospital and are expected to survive.
Jackson was a 19-year veteran of the department.
“Terryson was a rock star, he was one of the best of us,” said Tony, who also oversees the county's fire department. “He bled this profession inside and out all day long.”
The injured firefighters are pilot Daron Roche, 37, and Mike Chaguaceda, 31.
The dead woman's name was not released as her family was being notified, Tony said.
The three-member crew was heading to an emergency medical rescue to take the patient to the hospital. A video posted online shows flames coming from the midsection of the helicopter as it is trailed by a long plume of smoke. The helicopter then appears to break in half as it begins to spiral, plunging to the ground. A video from another angle showed that the helicopter's blades were not turning rapidly.
Tony said that even as the crew members were declaring a mayday to the airport's control tower and trying to save their helicopter, they were also radioing paramedics at the medical emergency to let them know they would have to take the patient to the hospital.
“We are talking about the character of these men,” Tony said. “As they were fighting for their lives, they were thinking about somebody else.”
Witness Brian Piggott told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the helicopter began trailing smoke as soon as it took off. It then lost altitude and crashed.
Victoria Walczak, who was inside the apartment building, said the crash was louder than thunder.
“I thought a bomb went off,” she told the newspaper.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Countries around the world continue to grapple with rising COVID cases, with Germany confirming case numbers at their highest at any point during the pandemic. German officials say that 48,000 new cases are being reported everyday.
Jill and Carlo cover the developing story out of suburban Milwaukee, where a speeding SUV careened through a Christmas parade. Looters get more brazen in San Francisco, the missing Chinese tennis star resurfaces, and more.
A CDC panel has unanimously endorsed boosters of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for all adults. Internal medicine physician Dr. Vivek Cherian joined Cheddar News to weigh in.
Neuroscientist Dr. Bankole Johnson joined Cheddar News to talk about the expectation of boosters for all U.S. adults and what the move would mean in the fight against the pandemic.
Deborah Sass, CO-CEO and Founding Partner of Space Hero, joins ChedHER to discuss how she's creating a global competition to send someone on a 10-day trip to space, her experience in the space industry without a background in STEM, and how she hopes to inspire younger generations of women.
A new report from Dr. Michael Worobey alleges that it is likely that COVID-19 originated from a raccoon dog at the Wuhan live animal market in China. While his report does not rule out the coronavirus could have escaped from a lab, Worobey's evidence points to a natural origin.
Jill and Carlo are back to cover the latest in the Rittenhouse trial, new information on the origins of Covid, return-to-office and more.
JOIN US FOR THE YOUTUBE WATCH PARTY @ 9aET: http://www.youtube.com/cheddarnow
Over the weekend, Russia fired a missile at one of its own satellites, triggering an explosion that launched thousands of pieces of shrapnel through space and forced the astronauts aboard the International Space Station to shelter in place. Senior Writer from Space.com Chelsea 'Foxanne' Gohd, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Gerald Comissiong, CEO of Todos Medical, joins None of the Above to discuss why we're seeing surges of COVID-19 cases in Europe, the potential for a winter surge of COVID-19, the benefits of high vaccination rates in a community, and the coming COVID treatment pills.
Cognitive healthcare platform BrainCheck recently raised $10 million in a Series B round. The platform offers neurologists a new way to detect and care for brain disorders like Alzeheimer's, and brain injuries like concussions. BrainCheck CEO Yael Katz joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
