This is the moment a French helicopter tailspun out of control and crashed down into a pond while collecting water to fight wildfires in Brittany.
The aircraft, a Morane 29, was carrying out a tricky water-scooping operation on Sunday evening when it suddenly manoeuvred out of control and slammed into the surface of the pond on its side.
Dramatic footage captured by a shocked onlooker shows the chopper lowering a flexible ‘Bambi bucket’ into the water moments before the tail dipped and the aircraft went into a violent tailspin.
The person filming could be heard yelling ‘Holy cow’ repeatedly as the helicopter crashed.
Incredibly, both the pilot and the firefighter on board survived and managed to escape the wreckage.
They swam to the shore, where they were helped to safety. Officials later confirmed they were ‘safe and sound’.
The crash prompted authorities to close a beach more than 10 miles away, sparking furious reactions from British families who say their holidays have been ruined.
Local man Thibault, 22, said he was relaxing with friends near Rosporden when the helicopter flew overhead.
He started recording on his phone expecting to capture an impressive manoeuvre, but instead filmed the crash.
He told BFMTV: ‘After I took the video, a friend of mine takes his paddleboard and starts going over to them. They got out and said, “We’re not hurt, everything’s fine”‘.
The accident happened at around 7pm after the helicopter had already carried out several water drops during a long day fighting flames in the Finistère department.
It had been battling a blaze near Beuzec-Cap-Sizun and was heading to another fire threatening to consume a home when it went down.
The French Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into the crash, which officials say did not disrupt firefighting efforts as another helicopter was immediately deployed.
The Morane 29 has been leased every summer since 2023 to help tackle wildfires in Brittany. It uses a collapsible Bambi bucket capable of scooping up hundreds of gallons of water in seconds.
This summer alone, the aircraft had already been sent out 33 times and had carried out 154 water drops before the incident.
Water scooping is considered one of the most dangerous aerial firefighting techniques because pilots must fly extremely low over lakes or ponds while keeping the helicopter steady.
Even the smallest mistake can cause the aircraft to lose balance, which appears to have happened in this case.
France, like many European countries, has been battling wildfires this summer after weeks of scorching heat and strong winds.
After the crash, authorities closed a popular beach in the village of Port Manec’h in Névez over fears the incident, which happened more than 10 miles from the beach, may have polluted the sea with fuel.
Children arriving at the beach this morning were heartbroken to see policemen installing barricades in the sand.
The local police have even threatened to prosecute anyone breaking the beach ban, which at the moment has no end date.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, parents said they understood why they weren’t allowed in the sea but were shocked they were stopped from even sunbathing on the beach.
Amy Neal, 42, on holiday with her husband and two children said: ‘Obviously, the children enjoy playing in the sand. It feels disappointing, especially as we’ve got one who’s crawling around and that’s a pretty safe place for him to play and we’re not sure how many sunny days we have left.’
She added: ‘It’s super disappointing, but I understand why we’re not allowed in there – we wouldn’t want any harm to come to the children. I’m sure we’ll have a lovely holiday no matter what happens.’
Another British holidaymaker said: ‘I understand why they’ve closed off the sea but to stop us even going on the beach is a bit mean. I can control my kids enough to stop them going in the sea. It seems a bit excessive to me.
‘I’m sure they’re not trying to, but it feels like they’ve ruined the day a little.’
Dutch holidaymaker Natasha Ten Bosch and her husband Wouter are on holiday for two weeks with their two sons.
Natasha said: ‘Someone told us about the closure at the campsite we are staying at, and then we read it on the sign here. We’re going to walk along the cliff to the lighthouse instead and later go to Port Aven.’
However, with just two days left of their holiday, she said she ‘hoped’ the beach would reopen for the sake of her two young kids.
Local police said they were worried the ocean may have been polluted by a fuel spill after one of the fire brigade’s helicopters crashed on Sunday evening in a lake 11 miles away from Port Manec’h in Rosporden.