The moments that followed immediately after the crash of the helicopter were described by Mr. Manthos Sgouros, a speedboat training instructor, who was the first -together with his nephew- to rush to the scene after the emergency water landing in Eleusis.
“We were conducting training exercises and suddenly we heard a ‘bang’ and saw the helicopter falling into the sea. Immediately, together with Coast Guard officers, we went and rescued the helicopter pilots. They had just fallen into the sea. The helicopter sank and we brought them to shore. There were two foreigners and I think they had another interpreter with them. It was about one to two miles out. Everything went well, thank God. They were fine, they were okay, and when they came out, EKAV provided them with medical assistance. I feel moved, happy that these guys weren’t hurt and that we were able to help them,” said Mr. Sgouros, visibly emotional.
It’s worth noting that the helicopter was operating on the fire that broke out in Aspropyrgos, and as it was descending to collect water, something happened which caused the pilots to abandon it.
It was an Erickson-type helicopter which had been leased by the fire service.
The pilots were transferred to the facilities of the Eleusis Nautical Club, where they were picked up by ambulances.
