Three people were rescued after a plane crashed into the ocean near Vero Beach on Sunday night.
Chopper video from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office showed the moment officials spotted the survivors in the water.
The helicopter crew helped guide rescue boats to the area after locating three heat signatures.
Agents from the Air and Marine Operations joined the rescue efforts that were already in progress by the U.S. Coast Guard, Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Indian River Shores Police Department.
The passengers were stranded in the water for half an hour before being pulled on board the rescue vessels.
“I could tell by the look on his face, the way his pupils looked dilated, the way he was behaving, he was struggling to stay above water,” said U.S. customs Agent Williams of rescuing the pilot from the wreckage. “He didn’t have much time.”
The three people who were on the plane were pulled to safety and taken to the nearby Fort Pierce Coast Guard station for medical treatment.
All three suffered minor injuries, with the pilot being in severe rib pain when found.
Williams said the victims were found due to infrared cameras on an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office helicopter.
The heroic efforts by the first responders was commended by the Indian River County Sheriff.
“An incredibly heroic event that our team was able to be part of,” said Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers on Monday. “To work with these agencies and come together and save these three folks who otherwise would probably be dead out there today, if it weren’t for their efforts.”
It’s unclear what led the helicopter to crash into the water. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
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