Tomas Pendas, 63, has been identified as the pilot killed when his helicopter crashed off the Florida coast near Key Biscayne during a speedboat photoshoot.
Pendas was president of Global Aerials, the company listed as the registered owner of the Robinson R44 chopper, according to local affiliate NBC6. The aviation executive had been flying over Biscayne Bay near Bill Baggs State Park on Wednesday to document boats participating in the “Poker Run” speedboat event, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said.
Two survivors aboard the aircraft — Ryan McCoy, 52, and Ryan Ferraro, 27 — suffered only minor injuries and have since been released from the hospital, CBS and NBC6 reported. Ferraro owns Boats Daily, a full-service digital marine marketing agency. Marine units rushed to the wreck and airlifted both men to a local hospital for treatment.
When rescue boats reached the crash site Wednesday morning, they spotted a good Samaritan attempting to save Pendas, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said. Despite the stranger’s heroic efforts, Pendas was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff added.
Grim footage captured by a news helicopter showed the fallen chopper’s bright yellow floats in the water alongside a body covered by a yellow tarp. The downed aircraft remained submerged as crews began working to haul the wreckage from the bay, though officials warned the salvage operation would be treacherous.
National Transportation Safety Board investigator Gene Rambo is leading the probe into what caused the fatal crash. Investigators are focusing on “man, machinery, and the environment” to piece together the final moments, Rambo said.
“Regarding the human part, we are reviewing the records,” Rambo told reporters at a press conference.
“We are looking at medical records, and we are looking at the man and the helicopter and what was recovered and looking at the wreckage itself,” Rambo continued.
“We are trying to do as little damage as possible in the recovery,” Rambo explained. “It is very difficult pulling something out of the water.”
Key Biscayne, where the crash occurred, is a 5-mile-long barrier island known for picturesque beaches, lush parks and the Ritz-Carlton resort.