Helicopter crashes during film shoot killing one person and injuring two others

One person has died and two others are injured after a helicopter plunged into Biscayne Bay near Miami on Wednesday while shooting footage, according to authorities.

The aircraft went down shortly before noon close to Bill Baggs State Park, off Key Biscayne, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that one of the three occupants died and the other two people onboard were rushed to a trauma center.

“USCG, partner agencies responded to a helicopter crash, Wed., on Biscayne Bay at approx. 11:30 a.m.,” the Coast Guard wrote. “3 people were on the aircraft. 1 person is reported deceased & 2 people were transported by EMS to a higher level of care.”

The Robinson R44 II helicopter was chartered and filming boats in the water when it crashed, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said at a news conference. All three people onboard were males and two remain in critical condition.

TV footage from local NBC affiliate WTVJshowed the helicopter upside down in the water with two yellow floats attached to the bottom of its landing skids. Those emergency floats are designed to help keep an aircraft afloat in water.

Officials did not immediately release the identities of any of the occupants. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

The helicopter went down off the coast of Miami just three days after a private jet crashed in nearby Palm Beach County, killing all nine people onboard. The Learjet 90 plane, which was heading to the Bahamas, slammed into the ground with such force it created a crater and shattered the aircraft with parts found up to 3.8 miles away from the site.