| AppSysCons |
09-11-2007 11:30 AM |
Latest update here in SW Florida, a few minutes ago. It just gets worse and worse.
SARASOTA – A photo shoot turned deadly in the waters near Venice on Tuesday morning when a helicopter crashed, killing two people and injuring another.
Authorities say the copter went down in the waters off S. Casey Key Road. That's about six miles northeast of Venice in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Department says the chopper crashed when it was involved in a possible collision with a boat in the waters below. They say the two were doing a photo shoot when the accident happened.
Deputies say three people were pulled from the water in the area, but there's no word yet if other people may have been involved. The three victims were taken to Venice and then flown to area hospitals for treatment.
Authorities say two of the victims later died, but there's no word on the condition of the other person who was hurt.
Crews from the both the Sarasota and Nokomis Fire Departments are responding to the scene of the accident.
SkyFox pilot/reporter Randy Powers says he believes the helicopter that crashed is a Bell JetRanger model, and that it may have collided with a cigarette boat. That has not yet been confirmed by authorities.
Powers says cigarette-type boats are frequently used in photo shoots along the water, and helicopters often fly very low and close to the boats to get the shots they're looking for.
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