Victims identified in fatal Biscayne Bay helicopter crash

The investigation into the Biscayne Bay helicopter crash disclosed the identities of the victim and noted the status of other occupants, according to CBS News and local CBS News Miami coverage. The Florida incident involved a Robinson R44 helicopter that went down into the water around 11 a.m. on a Wednesday, with first responders responding and a Good Samaritan assisting at the shore, per CBS News’ reporting based on Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office materials.

CBS News confirms that Tomas Pendas has been identified as the pilot who died in the crash, while the other two occupants were identified as injured survivors: Ryan McCoy and Ryan Ferraro. The same report notes that first responders reached the scene and a Good Samaritan helped attempt to bring Pendas to shore before responders intervened further.

The CBs News material describes rescue activity in the hours following the incident, including the involvement of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, which located the two injured male victims and transported them to the dock at No Name Harbor. From there, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue airlifted the two survivors to a local hospital in critical but stable condition, according to CBS News’ account.

In the related reporting from WPEC, the focus shifts to a different fatal air event, the Learjet crash near West Palm Beach. PBSO’s release identifies nine fatalities: seven passengers and two crew members. The aircraft was described as a Learjet operating from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas, and it crashed and exploded along Military Trail in Greenacres on a Sunday.

The identified crew aboard the Learjet are Jeffrey Gregory, the pilot, aged 55, and Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, the co-pilot, aged 20, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office release cited by WPEC. The seven identified passengers are Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two children Emma (4) and Charlie (2), their nanny Ana Maria Ramirez Cetina (24), and two friends, Rachael Reed (38) and Charmi Fehr Toews (38), with ages provided in the PBSO release.

PBSO notes that forensic analysis had not identified any additional unknown victims, and the collection of human remains at the crash site was ongoing. Next-of-kin notification had been completed, and the Medical Examiner’s Office was coordinating reunification with families, according to the WPEC report citing PBSO.

CBS News adds a detail about the location and timing of the Biscayne Bay crash, indicating the incident occurred in Biscayne Bay and that the Harbo r area near No Name Harbor was involved in the rescue timeline. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office release cited by CBS News identifies Tomas Pendas as the pilot who died, with the two injured male occupants named as McCoy and Ferraro. The CBS News update also notes that the FAA reported the time of the crash and that a Good Samaritan responded at the scene.

Taken together, the material confirms two separate aviation tragedies covered in the same day’s cycle of breaking news. The Biscayne Bay helicopter crash resulted in a single confirmed fatality (Pendas) and two injured survivors (McCoy and Ferraro), with rescue efforts and hospital transport described by CBS News. The Learjet crash near West Palm Beach resulted in nine fatalities, involving a pilot and co-pilot with seven passengers, according to PBSO and WPEC reporting, outlining the flight’s origin, destination, and the location of the crash. The reports also note ongoing investigations, with authorities not yet establishing a cause at the time of release.