The Brief
After a helicopter made an emergency landing in the middle of an alligator-filled lake in Florida, an airboat captain was among the first to respond.
The helicopter experienced mechanical issues and needed to land quickly. So, the crew found a floating island in the middle of Lake Jesup.
Captain Derrick Lockhart and his team made quick adjustments to an airboat to help carry the 1,500-pound helicopter to shore.
No one inside the helicopter nor part of the airboat crew were hurt, they said.
ORLANDO, Fla. – When a helicopter crash-landed on an island in the middle of Lake Jesup – known for being home to thousands of big and small alligators – a nearby airboat captain was one of the first to respond.
Captain Derrick Lockhart, a manager at Midway Airboat Rides, described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” No was was hurt in the crash or the rescue.
Helicopter makes emergency landing in alligator-filled lake
The backstory
The crash happened last week after a helicopter had to make an emergency landing on an island in the middle of Lake Jesup, an 8,000-acre lake between Sanford and Winter Springs, known for its massive alligator population.
Captain Lockhart said he received an unusual call from a friend: “Do you think you can carry a helicopter on the front of one of your boats?” To be more specific, a 1,500-pound helicopter.
Photos shared with FOX 35 Orlando.
‘The Green Mamba’ to the rescue
Captain Lockhart said he quickly went to work to figure out if any of his airboats could hold a helicopter – and, if so, how to get that mission done. His boat, Green Mamba, was selected for the job.
But, it had to be prepped to carry a heavy and wide helicopter.
“We had to take this railing off,” he told FOX 35’s Esther Bower, pointing to a safety railing at the front of the boat.
Fourteen guys boarded the boat to meet the helicopter and its crew at the island.
The next challenge: Moving the 1,500-pound helicopter across the island and over the water, then into the boat.
Using wood pilings, they had to manually maneuver the helicopter about 75 yards from the center of the island to the water’s edge.
“There’s 14 of us. 5 on each skid. 4 on the tail. Alright cool we can get this thing on there and we just loaded it up,” Lockhart said.
A race against time: Storms moving in
It was also a race against time as showers and thunderstorms were moving in.
“Hey listen, the sky is talking to us. It’s getting dark. We need to get a move on,” Lockhart warned the crew.
The helicopter was loaded onto the airboat and transported slowly and steadily to the boat launch a mile away, Lockhart said.
“There was a little puckering when we were pulling off into the water for sure because we could have went off and went straight to the bottom,” Lockhart admitted.
The Source
Captain Lockhart shared photos and videos of the helicopter rescue on social media. .FOX 35’s Esther Bower talked with Captain Lockhart on Monday, July 6.