Three rescuers and a swimmer they had
just plucked from the sea had a lucky escape as the helicopter they were
in crashed into the water just yards from one of the world's most
famous beaches.
The Fire
Department chopper was flying back to shore close to Copacabana beach in
Rio de Janeiro after rescuing a swimmer who had got into difficulty
further out at sea.
But in a
dramatic twist of events the rescuers had to be rescued themselves
after the red helicopter's blades looked to splutter and falter and the
aircraft slowly began to fall towards the water.
Copacabana beach
... Going... : The red helicopter slowly begins to drop towards the sea with thousands of stunned beachgoers looking on
It landed a matter of metres from where unsuspecting swimmers frolicked in the waves.
The
terrifying incident was captured in a startling video clip captured by
one of the many hundreds of beachgoers watching from the shore.
The helicopter is seen flying
at a low height above the water before hitting the water and momentarily
disappearing in the waves and turned on its front before appearing to
begin to sink slowly into the water.
Shocked
screams of those standing watching can be heard in the footage and many
rushed to the waters edge to get a better look at what had happened.
Down: The helicopter makes quite a splash as it crashes into the water off Copacabana beach
Fortunately none of the chopper's four occupants were seriously hurt, suffering only minor injuries.
But
the the incident could have been worse with the Copacabana thronged
with beachgoers enjoying scorching temperatures in the high 30s and low
40s.
A Brazilian Navy ship,
which was in waters nearby, and a Fire Department vessel searched for
the stricken helicopter moments after it had crashed.
The Rio de Janeiro state Fire department said that an unspecified mechanical failure had caused the helicopter to crash.
The
4km stretch of beach is situated in the Brazilian city's Zona Sul or
Southern Zone and will play host to millions of revellers during new
year celebrations.
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