An air fire rescue captain and a civilian were killed on Monday morning after a helicopter from the Broward Sheriff’s Office crashed in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said during a press conference on Monday that Capt. Terryson Jackson, who was on the helicopter, was killed in the crash. Jackson had been with the Broward Sheriff’s Office for 19 years. He began his fire rescue career in 2004 in Deerfield Beach and joined the BSO in 2011 when the two agencies merged.
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“Terryson was a rock star. He was one of the best of us, one of the brightest,” Tony said. “He bled this profession inside and out, all day long.”
An adult female civilian, whose name has not been released, was killed after the helicopter crashed into a nearby one-story apartment building, Tony said.
Four people were also injured, two firefighters who were on the helicopter with Jackson and two civilians who were on the ground. The two firefighters have been identified as Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue pilot Daron Roche, 37, who has been with the office for four years, and Broward Sheriff firefighter paramedic Mikael “Mike” Chaguaceda, 31, who has been with the office for five years.
All four were transported to Broward Health North hospital. Tony said they were in fair condition and expected to survive their injuries.
The sheriff’s office said earlier on Monday in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that emergency personnel responded to reports of an aircraft alert located southwest of Pompano Beach Airpark around 8:46 a.m.
With a heavy heart, we announce the untimely loss of a longtime employee, Captain Terryson Jackson, who passed away this morning, August 28, 2023, after a BSO Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services helicopter crashed in Pompano Beach. https://t.co/09n2fQWA4O pic.twitter.com/IjdJ1VRWBP
— Sheriff Gregory Tony (@bsosherifftony) August 28, 2023
Motorists were asked to avoid the North Dixie Highway and Atlantic Boulevard. Dixie Highway is shut down between Northeast Fifth Street and Northeast 10th Street.
Video footage shows the helicopter smoking as it continued on its path before spiraling toward the ground. What appears to be a fire could be seen from the back end of the helicopter.
BREAKING NEWS: A Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopter crashed in Pompano Beach Monday morning. | #ONLYinDADE pic.twitter.com/ea94fhbG2X
— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) August 28, 2023
Tony said those aboard the helicopter reached out to the Fort Lauderdale local fire department to let them know that they would not be able to land and would need rescue.
The sheriff said that the chopper was suffering mechanical issues and placed a call to the airport, which “cleared the path” for the helicopter.
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“Unfortunately, the mechanical issues were so severe, they never made it out of this area,” Tony said.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the National Transportation Safety Board for updates on the crash investigation.
