WASATCH COUNTY, Utah, May 20, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Two fishermen who witnessed a gyrocopter crash into a river in the Soldier Creek area Friday afternoon rushed to assist the occupants, then one hiked out to get cellphone service and led search and rescue crews back to the downed aircraft, police said.
The other stayed with the male pilot and female passenger until crews arrived.
Wasatch County Search and Rescue and Wasatch County EMS were called to the downed gyrocopter in Strawberry River at approximately 11:30 a.m., said chief deputy Jared Rigby, Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office.
Rigby said at least 30 search and rescue members, law enforcement officers and medical crews responded to the crash.
Rigby said a male pilot and a female passenger were transported by Life Flight. The male reportedly has minor injuries. The female has a possible broken leg and injured back.
Both are being treated for hypothermia, because they were in the Strawberry River for about five minutes after the crash.
Rigby said two fisherman reportedly saw the helicopter hit some trees before it fell into the Strawberry River, and rushed in to help.
He said one fisherman stayed with the patients while the other hiked out, called the 911 center and brought emergency crews to the victims.
“Our dispatch center got a call from an individual who said he was a fisherman on the Strawberry River and he was in the Soldier Creek area of Wasatch County, and he saw a gyrocopter crash into the river,” Rigby said.
“He said that he had come out from the area, he had helped the individuals get out of this gyrocopter, that they were stuck in the river, and then he had hiked out to get service on his cell phone, and that he needed help.
Rigby said Search and Rescue and Wasatch County EMS responded, and the fisherman waited so he could lead them to the crash scene. Due to the rugged terrain, vehicles were unable to reach the victims.
“Our search and rescue members just had to hike in about two miles. Since then we have had two medical helicopters assisting.” Rigby said.
A gyrocopter is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust.
Rigby said officials are unsure of the origin of the gyrocopter, but said it does not appear to be a government or military helicopter.
The cause of the crash will be investigated. The identities of the pilot and passenger have also not been released yet.
Rigby said the situation could have been much more serious.
“I think these folks are very fortunate, especially to have the fisherman there to help them, and if it turns out that at least one of them was stuck in the gyrocopter like I’m being told, then it sounds like a miracle as far as them being stuck in the water also and just the potential for all those kind of hazards that come with that.”
He said there will be a number of different investigations that are going on, and the Federal Aviation Administration and and National Transportation Safety Board have been contacted by WCSO.
He said the health department and other agencies have been called to assist because of the aircraft being in a river, and the implications of fuel leakage, though that would be a lesser amount of fuel because it was a gyrocopter and not a larger aircraft.
This is a developing story and Gephardt Daily will have more information as it becomes available.
