A dramatic video has emerged showing the moment a helicopter crash-landed near a California beach, trapping a young boy beneath the wreckage. The incident occurred on Saturday during the “Cars N Copters” event in Huntington Beach. The helicopter, a Bell 22SP, was being flown by Eric Nixon, a pilot known for his daring maneuvers. The footage, which was obtained by local media, shows the helicopter spiraling out of control around 2 p.m.
As the helicopter plummeted towards the beachfront steps, bystanders scrambled for safety. The video then shows a young girl looking at the wreckage before running away in terror. As people approached the crash site, they discovered a young boy, later identified by his family as Oliver Holland, trapped under the wreckage. Two men rushed to assist the boy before the video ended.
Following the crash, Nixon took to Instagram to share that he and his passenger had not sustained serious injuries. However, two adults and the young boy, Holland, were injured and taken to the hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately disclosed, and the identities of the passenger and the other injured individuals were not officially released.
Holland’s family has since set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical expenses. His sister wrote on the page, “Oliver was enjoying a day at the beach when suddenly a helicopter malfunctioned and came crashing down on him. He is currently in the hospital receiving surgery; he has a collapsed lung and brain bleed.” As of Sunday evening, the page had raised over $30,000.
Eyewitnesses reported to local media that the helicopter’s rotor detached, causing it to spin out of control. One bystander, Jackson Etchert, told the Orange County Register, “First the tail rotor snapped. Next thing I know I see something looked like it hit the main rotor blade.”
The National Transportation Safety Board has now taken over the investigation into the crash.