A Broward (FL) Sheriff's Fire Rescue helicopter crashed into a triplex apartment building Monday killing one of the deputies onboard and one of the people in the dwelling. Two other people onboard the aircraft were injured.
According to officials, on Monday, the helicopter had just taken off from the Pompano Air Park at 8:42 a.m. and was heading to a call in North Lauderdale regarding a car crash. Three minutes later, the BSFR helicopter had an engine failure that occurred shortly after takeoff, WSVN reports.
In a news conference just before 1 p.m., Broward County Sherrif Gregory Tony said Captain/Flight Paramedic Terryson Jackson, a 19-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, died in the crash. A female resident of the building was also pronounced dead.
According to BSO officials, three people were onboard the helicopter. Daron Roche, 37, and Mikael Chaguaceda, 31, managed to get themselves out and were transported to Broward Health North with injuries that were not life-threatening. Local10 reports two people in the building also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Tony said he knew Jackson personally for over 14 years, Local10 reports.
“Terryson was a rock star. He was one of the best of us, one of the brightest. He bled this profession inside and out all day long,” the sheriff said. “There’s almost 6,000 people in this agency. I’m not going to meet everybody and I haven’t, but that man I knew. I knew very well. And the type of effort and commitment he had for this community – impeccable.”
