The Helicopter Crash...

 Hi again,

As I'm sure I must have mentioned previously, sometime or the other, I live on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

A truly beautiful part of the world where tourists, or as we prefer to call them visitors, like to come for holidays from other parts of Australia and the world.

I live just a walk away from SeaWorld. This has no connection to the American SeaWorld but purely Australian owned. I say this because the " other one" seems..and I have no idea just why... but seems to have had some bad press over the years. SeaWorld here I know does a great deal for conservation and they are the only ones here that go out and rescue whales when they get caught in the dreaded shark nets off our beaches while on their migratory yearly swim from the southern Antarctic waters to the tropical breeding waters just to the north. 

The reason I mention SeaWorld is that two days ago there was a very sad accident. I understand this has been shared around the world in and on different media. The helicopters that do tours all day and every day crashed and the pilot, as well as a recently married couple from the United Kingdom and an Australian lady were killed. Her young son is fighting for his life in hospital. The husband and father of the afore mentioned young boy didn't go on the flight but was watching from the ground as one of the helicopters touched another one as it was taking off. One landing and one taking off. Also on board were another mother and young son from Victoria, Australia. I understand they were injured but have survived 🙏.

No one truly knows what exactly happened it may have just been a blind spot or a mechanical failure there will, of course, be an investigation.

I heard the ambulance go by around 2pm and I thought then that can't be good as it was going in the direction of SeaWorld. Then I heard the dreaded news on the radio quickly switching on the TV to try to understand what had happened.

The other helicopter managed to land on a small sand island in the broad water but was badly damaged. He, the pilot, escaped with minor injuries; no doubt badly shaken up from the experience. His passengers were taken to hospital but just sustained minor injuries. They were indeed very, very lucky, to have survived due to the great skill of the pilot. It could have been so so much worse.

More bad luck than bad judgement really it seems as they fly hundreds of flights..thousands of passengers year-round. And there are other companies doing exactly the same thing. Just a case of it had to happen on that day. That very day. That very sad day.

The last accident with a helicopter here was in 1991 when seven people unfortunately died. As I say since then many thousands have experienced the flights and seeing the beauty of the Gold Coast.

I have never been on a helicopter ride although I live here. I did do one...my first when visiting Hamilton Island some years ago. Although I enjoyed it, nervously,  I have to say I 'm not the best when out of my comfort zone...as it were.

A sad time indeed. We hope and pray it never happens again....