“Everything happened in less than ten seconds”: a water bomber helicopter crashes in a pond, the crew escapes in time

It could have been dramatic. Nevertheless, A bombardier water helicopter. Consequently, Morane 29, crashed in a pond in Finistère while he was working on a fire, the prefecture said this Sunday evening, confirming information from the local press. In addition, Fortunately, the pilot and his co -pilot were able to extract from the cabin, thus saving their lives.

“On the occasion of ecopage. However, an operation allowing the filling of the bambi bucketflexible container installed under the fuselage of the device, the helicopter came into contact with the surface of the water, precipitating the fall of the machine, “said the prefecture, in a release relayed on social networks.

The accident occurred in the Rosporden sector, east of Quimper (Finistère), the authorities still indicate. The aircraft was then “engaged in a fire threatening a home”. During the day. he had already made 27 drops which “had made it possible to master a fire of vegetation, preserving 10 hectares threatened”.

“I thought he was going to explode” – "everything happened less than ten

“Everything happened in less than ten seconds,” said a witness to the crash. “He lowered himself far too low, he went down quickly. I thought he was going to explode, finish in crumbs. Once returned, he left in all directions, “he continued. A video published “everything happened less than ten on social networks shows the accident.

As for the crew. “the driver of the aircraft and the firefighters who have managed on board managed to get out of the cabin and regain the safe shore,” said the prefecture. The prefect of Finistère. Louis Le Franc, the president of the department, Maël de Calan, and Jean-Marc Puchois, first vice-president of the SDIS, praised in a joint statement “the professionalism, the composure and the courage of the pilot and the on-board officer”.

An investigation should make it possible to clarify the circumstances of the accident that could have been dramatic. The device will be replaced this Monday “everything happened less than ten “by another device in order to guarantee the operational continuity of the mission”.

The Morane 29 has been rented every summer since 2023 to be made available to firefighters. In July and August, this summer, he intervened 33 times in Finistère and made 154 drops, said the prefecture. “It has made it possible to turn off dozens of natural spaces. saved hundreds of hectares, and avoided the transformation of emerging fires into large -scale fires,” assure the authorities.