This is the
dramatic moment two helicopters crash midair in Argentina, killing 10
people including three French sports stars taking part in a reality TV
show.
The
video, shown on Argentinian TV this morning, reveals how one of the
aircraft smashes into the other from below while flying over trees in a
remote town. Seconds later, both craft plunge to the ground and explode in a ball of flames.
Champion
sailor Florence Arthaud, Olympic gold medal swimmer Camille Muffat and
Olympic boxer Alexis Vastin were all killed, along with two Argentine
pilots and five other French nationals.
Moments from death: 3 French sports stars - from left, champion sailor Florence Arthaud, Olympic gold medal swimmer Camille Muffat and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine - are pictured shortly before boarding a helicopter which crashed in Argentina while they were filming a reality TV show
Doomed: Olympians Camille Muffat, centre, Florence Arthaud, second right
and Alexis Vastine far right, are pictured with their fellow
contestants on their way to film French survival TV show 'Dropped'.
Former Arsenal footballer Sylvain Wiltord (centre left) was in the show,
but was not on board either of the helicopters
Prosecutors
in Paris today opened a manslaughter inquiry as Argentinian police
removed the bodies from the wreckage of the helicopters.
Air accident investigators have yet to reveal the cause of the crash, which happened around 5pm local time yesterday.
The
celebrities were taking part in a survival TV series called Dropped for
French TV when the crash happened in a rugged mountain range in La
Rioja province.
A
cattle farmer has told how he rushed to one of the helicopters to try
to rescue survivors, but was beaten back by the heat and smoke.
David
Ocampo said: 'One of the helicopters sounded as if it was firing off
shots or experiencing small explosions that were completely out of
place.
There were about five metres between the two of them, but the one in front seemed to stop and that caught my attention.
'The
other one smashed into it from behind with its propellor after trying
to swerve to avoid it and fell to the ground and exploded. The earth
shook when they fell.
'I rushed towards it to see if there were any survivors but it was just a ball of flame.
'I couldn't see anything really, just smoke and the tail of one of the two helicopters between the bushes.'
Earlier,
it emerged today that former Arsenal footballer Sylvain Wiltord missed
the doomed flights because he had been voted off the show the day
before.
A
statement from local government officials identified the remaining
victims as Laurent Sbasnik, Lucie Mei-Dalby, Volodia Guinard, Brice
Guilbert and Edouard Gilles, as well as Argentine pilots Juan Carlos
Castillo and Roberto Abate.
The
accident happened at around 5pm on Monday shortly after the two
aircraft took off in a mountainous region of La Rioja, in Argentina's
north west.
Disel
Cuneo, government spokesman for the province, said: 'There are several
French nationals among the victims. So far we only know of two Argentine
victims.'
There
were unconfirmed reports that one of the victims died after jumping out
of one of the helicopters seconds before they crashed.
Another provincial spokesman, Horacio Alarcon, said that the two helicopters appeared to have collided during filming.
'There are no survivors,' he added.
Alexis Vastine, a boxer who won
bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (left) and Florence Arthaud, who won
the transatlantic sailing race Route du Rhum in 1990, were also
reported to have been killed
Camille Muffat, an Olympic
swimmer who won gold in the freestyle at London 2012 and is a former
world record holder died in the helicopter crash
Grief: Adriani Vastine (centre)
and Alain Vastine (right), the brother and father of Alexis Vastine,
weep as they take gather to pay tribute to the Olympic boxer in
Pont-Audemer, northwestern France
Culled from UK Daily Mail
58 comments:
Omg... May d soul of d dead RIP
Oh no!
What a tragedy, may their souls rest in peace.
~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA
This is painful. R.I.P to them
a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
.
Reality show gone wrong... May the souls of the dead RIP.....
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
Wow...sad stuff
Sad story again, RIP to those that lost their lives
Linda so so bad news today. Wetin na. Jor oo
This is bad news.....RIP to dead n nx o God 4 d survivors...
But how was that possible!! I pray God console the families...death everywhere smh.. it's well
So unfortunate. RIP
This is bad news.....RIP to dead n tnks toGod 4 d survivors...
So sad. RIP
Sad!
Rip to the dead
How come they collide
No air traffic or what?
What is actually happening nah!
So sad.
God save us all
Jeeez, to Bad.. My Condolences..
.
.
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.NOTE: Raise Your Words, Not Your Voice. It Is Rain That Grows Flowers, Not Thunder..
RIP! What a tragedy! Life is short, death is sure.
So sad, may their souls RIP.
Sad...may their souls rest in peace. amen!
painful RIP
#Commenting thru Glo 4G LTE
painful RIP
#Commenting thru Glo 4G LTE
so sad
INFORMATION YOU HAVE BEING LOOKING FOR IS HERE
Not again... Another tragic accident. RIP to those that loss their lives. May God save us frm any tragic death.
Chai
omg! this is sad
bolateethole.blogspot.com
May deir souls rest in peace. God help us
So sad! Rip to the dead!!!
What a tragedy. May their souls rest in peace, Amen
The weather looks okay so it must have being a malfunction or pilot error! Wiltord will be thanking his stars he was voted off just the day before. Too bad!!! If only people saw the future.
Really sad, may the souls of the departed RIP. Linda take note!
What sort of negligence is this?
Why would two coppers be flying at such close range?
Who are the pilots?
This is sad because this could have been easily avoided if they were more careful.
OmG. This is horrific. May their souls rest in peace. The celebrities voted out d day before will have to count their blessings.
Hmmm sad news. May the dead once soul rest in peace. Amen
Bad news.....may their souls rest in peace.
Sad. Rip
Sad. Rip
So sad. Rip
Sad and painful
Sure a sad news, really feel for the family, RIP
Tragedy! May their souls rest in peace. My prayer is that God should grant their families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
May all their souls rest in peace
So sad! Rip to the dead.
Dis is vry sad, RIP 2 dem
Sad news, May their souls RIP
This ur english na etike
Dis is painful
Amen!its such a pity
So sad
GOD!!WAT CUD VE GONE WRONG???RIP TO DEM....TOMJERRYSWIT
Rest in peace.
Imagine, na war dem dey fight
Ikponwa
This is so sad.....RIP
this is sad.... RIP. it is well
Extremely sad. Lucky escape for Wiltord.
May the souls of the people that died RIP. sad
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