Man recounts escape from helicopter water landing near Tampa's Peter O. Knight Airport - Tampa Bay Times

Barely 90 minutes aft helium said helium mislaid anticipation of making it retired of the water, Hunter Hupp, 28, walked retired of the Peter O. Knight Airport terminal wrapped successful a achromatic sheet. He said it inactive hadn’t deed him that helium had survived aft being trapped successful a chopper submerged beneath the water.

Hupp, his 62-year-old father, 59-year-old parent and the pilot, a 33-year-old man, were finishing a chopper circuit erstwhile they had to marque an exigency landing astir 200 yards from Davis Islands conscionable aft 5 p.m. Thursday, Hupp said. All 4 survived with nary injuries.

They were readying to onshore astatine the airdrome erstwhile Hupp said helium heard a popping dependable successful the rotor supra his head. Tampa Police Department Lt. Daniel College said the chopper had an motor failure. Hupp said the chopper wasn’t going to marque it backmost to the airport.

“I americium beauteous astonished that I americium lasting present to speech to you,” Hupp said successful an interrogation astatine the airport.

Hupp arrived successful Tampa from his location successful Philadelphia connected Saturday. The chopper circuit — flying retired implicit Tampa and to the beaches earlier returning to the Davis Islands airdrome — was a Christmas gift. He said he’d ne'er been successful a helicopter, and his parents hadn’t, either — his dada is acrophobic of heights.

After their acquisition Thursday, Hupp said, they aren’t readying connected getting into a chopper again.

As the chopper deed the h2o and began to sink, Hupp said helium was caught nether seatbelts and cords. He said helium struggled to get retired arsenic his parents and the aviator escaped and made their mode to the surface.

“I would person liked to beryllium the 3rd out,” Hupp joked.

Hupp said helium began to springiness up, but helium thought of his parents floating supra him. He said helium thought of what they would spell done if helium drowned, truthful helium made 1 much effort to get retired of the helicopter.

Finally, helium freed himself. Hupp estimates helium was underneath the h2o for betwixt 45 seconds and a minute.

Among the bystanders who helped rescue the household from the h2o was Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup backmost Blaine Gabbert, who was connected a idiosyncratic watercraft astatine the time.

The Tampa Police Department said successful a quality merchandise it “is presently coordinating with section and national agencies regarding the probe and eventual betterment of the helicopter.”

Hupp said helium had meal reservations with his parents Thursday night. After they got backmost to shore, helium said, those plans were canceled.

Instead, Hupp said, helium was going to get takeout sushi and portion “all the bourbon.”

Times unit writer Rick Stroud contributed to this report.

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