The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
MDSO identifies the victims of deadly Biscayne Bay helicopter crash
The preliminary investigation showed that the commercial helicopter was filming boats and was headed south when it crashed, the MDSO said.
The latest reports from CBS News indicate that the Medical Dispatch and Safety Office (MDSO) has identified the individuals involved in the deadly Biscayne Bay helicopter crash, marking a key step in the ongoing investigation into the incident. CBS News Miami, known as WFOR-TV, is the local CBS affiliate providing coverage of the event and its developing details.
According to CBS News and local CBS News Miami coverage, the helicopter involved was a Robinson R44 that went down into Biscayne Bay around 11 a.m. on a Wednesday. First responders reached the scene, and a Good Samaritan assisted in attempts to bring one victim to shore before responders assumed the emergency transport effort. The MDSO has identified the deceased as Tomas Pendas, who was the pilot of the helicopter.
CBS News reports that the two other occupants were injured survivors identified as Ryan McCoy and Ryan Ferraro. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations located the two injured males and transported them to the dock at No Name Harbor. From there, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue airlifted the survivors to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.
In terms of the overall emergency response, the CBS News material describes immediate first-responder actions at the water’s edge, followed by the arrival of federal maritime assets. The CBP Air and Marine Operations personnel located the survivors and coordinated their transfer to shore, after which Miami-Dade Fire Rescue carried out airlift transport to hospital care. The incident has continued to be investigated, with officials noting that a cause had not yet been established at the time of the report.
The reporting highlights a coordinated response between local and federal agencies, including the presence of first responders on scene shortly after the crash and the subsequent involvement of Air and Marine Operations personnel in locating the two injured occupants. The survivors were subsequently moved by air to a hospital, where they were described as in critical but stable condition.
CBS News emphasizes that the identities announced by the MDSO covered the deceased pilot and the two injured occupants. The report also clarifies that the ongoing investigation, conducted by local authorities and federal partners, had not yet determined a cause for the crash at the time of publication, with investigators continuing to gather evidence from the scene and examine flight data as available.
The CBS News material reiterates that the incident occurred in Biscayne Bay, with the crash taking place around 11 a.m. on a Wednesday, and notes that the MDSO had released the names of the victims as part of the investigative process. The report confirms the roles: Tomas Pendas as the pilot who died, and Ryan McCoy and Ryan Ferraro as the two injured survivors, with rescue and transport details aligning with the timeline described above.
In addition to the immediate rescue efforts, the CBS News report mentions that investigators had not established a cause for the crash as of the note in the release, and that the investigation remains active as authorities gather evidence and assess flight data from the Robinson R44. The coverage from CBS News and its Miami affiliate outlines the sequence of events, the identities announced by the MDSO, and the status of the two survivors, without presenting unverified details or speculation.