Miami-Dade helicopter crash victims identified: Father, daughter aboard chopper that plunged into canal
MIAMI -- Authorities on Thursday identified the father who was killed and the daughter who was hurt when the helicopter they were in plunged into a southwest Miami-Dade canal just west of Miami Executive Airport.
Clement Zanzuri, 71, and Jordan Ann Zanzuri, 27, were both rushed to Jackson Memorial South Trauma Center following the crash after 1 p.m. Wednesday near 187th Avenue and SW 122nd Street, investigators said.
The man was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital while his daughter was listed in stable condition, according to police.
Miami-Dade police said the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash but a final determination was not expected for weeks.
Police were called to the area for a report of a helicopter that seemed to be in distress before it plunged into the murky water.
Arriving police were unable to find a scene but then saw the woman emerging from the water, telling crews that her father was still trapped in the wreckage in the canal water.
Police divers were able to pull the man onshore and began efforts to revive him.
Authorities have not disclosed where the helicopter was coming from when it went down.
Witnesses told CBS News Miami that it was clear the copter was in distress when it went down.
"We just saw a chopper very low, directly behind where it happened," said witness Vivian Alvarez.
Crews on Thursday retrieved the wreckage from the canal and removed it from the scene as the investigation into the cause of the crash continues.