A firefighter and a woman were killed Monday morning after a fire rescue helicopter crashed into an apartment building near Fort Lauderdale, sending at least four people to the hospital.
Emergency personnel responded to a call of “an aircraft alert” after the Broward County sheriff’s fire rescue helicopter crashed southwest of the Pompano Beach Airpark, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Captain Terryson Jackson, 50, died in the crash. The woman has not been named, but authorities said she was inside the apartment at the time of the crash and was pronounced dead on the scene.
The airpark is in Pompano Beach just north of Fort Lauderdale, near the Miami metropolitan area.
Other personnel aboard the helicopter at the time of the crash were Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Pilot Daron Roche, 37, and Broward Sheriff Firefighter Paramedic Mikael “Mike” Chaguaceda, 31, said Coleman-Wright.
“Pompano Beach Fire Rescue transported a total of four people, two Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue employees and two civilians, to Broward Health North hospital for treatment for their injuries,” said Coleman-Wright.
“According to the hospital, they do not have life threatening injuries and are listed in fair condition,” she said.
What happened?
On Monday morning, the men in the helicopter were “dispatched to a medical call regarding a traffic crash with injuries in North Lauderdale,” said Coleman-Wright.
On the return to the Pompano beach, “the aircraft sustained an in-flight emergency and crashed into a small apartment building, east of North Dixie Highway and just south of Northeast 10th Street,” she said.
Brittany Trotter, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the crash happened at 7:45 a.m. local time and involved a Eurocopter EC135 helicopter.
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Images posted on social media show gray smoke billowing into the air from the apartment building. Another aerial shot of the scene shows firefighters blasting water into the building, which has a large hole in its roof.
The FAA said its agency and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the cause of the crash.
Who was Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Captain Jackson?
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony gave a tribute to Jackson in a news release following the crash and announcement of his death.
“Terryson was a rock star. He was one of the best of us, one of the brightest,” he said. “He bled this profession inside and out, all day long. The type of effort and commitment he had for this community – impeccable.
“We’re going to suffer,” he continued. “We’re going to hurt, but this community should know that we’re prepared to answer the next call.”
In February 2020, the Broward Sheriff’s Office honored Jackson for Black History Month.
In a post on Facebook, they wrote:
“As a captain and flight paramedic for Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, Terryson Jackson and the Air Rescue Team provide the highest level of pre-hospital care while swiftly delivering patients to the most appropriate medical or trauma facility,” it reads.
“Terryson believes this career chose him. He comes from a family of nurses and grew up with a burning desire to help others,” the Facebook post said. “When he realized he could be a firefighter and a paramedic, his dream took flight. Each day, Terryson’s passion, expertise and dedication to duty help make Broward County a safer place to live and visit.”
Terryson worked for the department for 19 years, Coleman-Wright said.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.
