Daring Helicopter Rescue Pulled Off In Florida Everglades

MIAMI, FL — First responders executed a daring helicopter rescue in the darkness of the Florida Everglades Thursday night when a small Cessna plane crashed, leaving two people pinned under the fuselage. Rescuers used night vision goggles to spot the wreckage amid 7-foot-high saw grass and swampy water. Lt. Derrick Caballero of Miami-Dade Air Rescue said that he was surprised to find one of the victims trying to get his attention.

The crash occurred shortly before 11 p.m. near the border of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties approximately 22 miles west of Krome Avenue and north of Tamiami Trail.

"We just kind of manhandled the fuselage," recalled Caballero. "I climbed myself up to the wing of the wrecked Cessna, and to be honest with you the last thing I expected to see was a viable patient. A leg was sticking out of the wreckage and it was moving trying to catch my attention. I crawled up closer and it wasn't just one victim. There were actually two victims."

Caballero said that his partner was lowered down with a Stokes basket to assist with the rescue but their helicopter had to leave them behind for a time as it returned to the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport to refuel.

"We went ahead and made the call to have the aircraft leave us there and go back to Opa Locka airport to refuel," he said, adding that the two crash victims were taken to the nearest trauma center once the helicopter returned.

He added that his training kicked in at the crash scene. The Florida Everglades are home to alligators and multiple species of snakes and other wildlife.

"At that point, really, I'm not thinking about much of anything, just doing our job," Caballero said. "This is what we train for. We do this on a regular basis. The scenarios aren't always the same and they are not always ideal."

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue dispatched air, land and water units to find the downed aircraft, including an airboat, according to the agency's Erika Benitez.

"Although several agencies responded to the call, many had to turn back due to inclement weather moving in over the area," she said, adding that the air rescue crew managed to locate the Cessna after only a few minutes of searching.

"As the two flight medics were attempting to remove the patients, MDFR airboat arrived on-scene to provide additional manpower in order to lift the plane and remove the patients," she said. "A Coast Guard helicopter also arrived on scene and lowered a medic to assist MDFR with preparing the patients for a hoist basket rescue."

"We're used to treating patients with these types of injuries," Caballero added. "The big thing is for those guys, if we hadn't have found them and we wouldn't have been able to extricate them from that wreckage, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

News reports said that the plane bore Dean International Flight School markings. The flight school suffered back-to-back plane crashes at public parks last summer around the Miami area. The school has 50 aircraft and trains more than 350 students per year.

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Photo and video courtesy Miami-Dade Fire Rescue