'Tragedy': Police Officer Dead In Newport Beach Helicopter Crash

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — One police officer was killed and another hospitalized following a helicopter crash in Newport Beach on Saturday evening in "a tragedy we are investigating," police announced.

Nicholas Vella, 44, died after the wreck around 6:30 p.m., an emotional Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra said at a 10 p.m. news conference. Vella was a 14-year veteran of the Huntington Police Department and had previously worked for the Laguna Beach Police Department.

READ MORE: Police Officer ID'd In Fatal Newport Beach Helicopter Crash

It wasn't immediately clear if Vella was flying the chopper when it went down. His position was listed as "air support" on the city of Huntington Beach's website.

Another officer, a 16-year veteran of the police department, was hospitalized in critical condition after the crash, according to Parra.

Parra said the two were among those responding to a "disturbance/fight call" in Newport Beach when the crash occurred.

"We lost an officer that was truly dedicated to his job, that was doing what he loved doing," the chief said, while fighting back tears.

Huntington Beach Mayor Barbara Delgleize called the crash "heartbreaking" for the entire city.

"Our community values our police department and the loss of an officer hits us all really hard," Delgleize said during the news conference. "This tragic accident serves as a reminder of the danger and the risk that our police officers put themselves in on a daily basis to protect our community."

The Federal Aviation Administration told Patch that Vella and the other officer were the only two people aboard the McDonnell Douglas 500N helicopter when it crashed.

"We can confirm that our police helicopter, HB1, crash landed in the Newport Beach area," the Huntington Beach Police Department tweeted at 7:20 p.m. "Rescue efforts are underway & more information will be released when available."

Footage from the scene showed the mangled chopper in the shallow waters of Newport Bay. CBS2 images showed the helicopter was laying on its side, mostly submerged, with its tail rotor visible.

The FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and Orange County sheriff's officials are all investigating the crash.

The HBPD website describe the helicopter as an Air Support Unit. "We operate three MD 520N series turbine-powered helicopters out of our facility. The Air Support Unit currently provides support under contract for the city of Newport Beach and the city of Costa Mesa."

The helicopter crash landed in the waters between Balboa Island and Lido Isle, in the area closest to Fremont Street and Beach Drive.

Several bystanders jumped into the water to help the stranded helicopter after the crash, as crews rushed to the scene, according to video reports from the scene.

Vella was honored with a midnight procession of law enforcement officers escorting his body to the coroner's office. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.

— City News Service contributed to this report.