Helicopter involved in fatal Biscayne Bay crash expected to be removed from water Friday

Two helicopters and boats answered the Biscayne Bay scene after a small helicopter crash off Key Biscayne in the vicinity of Bill Baggs State Park, with Miami-Dade authorities and multiple federal and local agencies converging to assist and secure the site, according to CBS News and corroborating coverage from NBC 6 South Florida and WSVN.

The operator of the helicopter involved in the crash was identified by Miami-Dade authorities as a Robinson R44 II, with the pilot named Tomas Pendas, who was reported to have died in the incident. The two additional occupants were reported as injured, with CBS News confirming the pilot’s death and two others sustaining injuries. The two injured occupants were later identified as Ryan McCoy and Ryan Ferraro. Authorities indicated the crash occurred during a flight to film boats on the water, and the helicopter went down into Biscayne Bay near Bill Baggs State Park off Key Biscayne, according to the initial material summarized by CBS News via Miami-Dade authorities.

Emergency responders from multiple agencies arrived at the scene following the water impact, with the response described as a broad, multi-agency effort. NBC 6 South Florida reported that rescuers from several local agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection converged on the Biscayne Bay site to assist those involved. NBC 6 also noted that two men were rescued from the water, and documented a powerful image of a federal agent pulling the survivors from the water. The material from NBC 6 did not provide precise timing beyond noting the responders’ arrival and the ongoing operations.

WSVN’s initial reporting indicated two injuries and at least one fatality, with rescue and recovery operations continuing as investigators began assessing the scene near Key Biscayne. WPEC, echoed by WSVN’s emphasis on the on-scene work, placed the crash near Nixon Beach, off Crandon Boulevard southwest of Key Biscayne, and stated that two survivors and the person believed deceased were located at the wreckage area by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel and investigators, with the helicopter’s yellow floats visible in the water.

On-scene details included imagery showing a yellow tarp covering the person believed to have died and paramedics preparing the two surviving individuals for transport to a hospital. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office was reported to have taken over the investigation into the crash according to WPEC, with no cause released initially and an indication that further updates would follow as information developed. The on-scene reporting consistently described the two survivors being transported for medical care, while one believed to have died remained at the wreckage area under scene cover.

CBS News noted the planned recovery operation for the helicopter from the water, with the aircraft expected to be removed on Friday. The report flagged the ongoing recovery efforts in Biscayne Bay and the broader implications for the incident in Florida, describing the operation as a breaking-news development and indicating that the removal was anticipated by authorities. The CBS News account also identified the source as CBS News Miami (WFOR-TV), the local affiliate associated with CBS News and Stations.

While NBC 6 and CBS News provided the clearest statements about a two-survivor, one-deceased outcome and the multi-agency response, the material from WPEC and WSVN offered consistent location markers such as Nixon Beach and the Crandon Boulevard corridor southwest of Key Biscayne, along with descriptions of the helicopter’s visible yellow floats in the water at the scene. The reports maintain that two people survived and were transported to a hospital, and at least one person was believed to have died, with the investigation proceeding under the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

The sources did not provide a confirmed time of the crash beyond referencing the event as occurring around mid-morning and noted that the FAA timeline placed the downing at around 11 a.m. However, the exact time varied between outlets’ initial reports, and no single outlet established a definitive cause at the time of publication. The weather conditions at the time and the specific sequence of events leading to the water impact were not disclosed in the supplied material, as outlets emphasized rescue, recovery, and ongoing investigation rather than an immediate causal explanation.

In summary, a Robinson R44 II helicopter crashed into Biscayne Bay near Bill Baggs State Park off Key Biscayne while filming boats, resulting in one presumed fatality and two injuries among the occupants. A broad, multi-agency rescue and recovery operation followed, with two survivors rescued from the water and transported to a hospital in critical but stable condition per the reporting. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation, and authorities anticipated removing the helicopter from the water on Friday as part of the ongoing recovery efforts, according to CBS News.