Helicopter crashes into Meramec River at Missouri state park; all passengers escape with 'minor injuries'

A helicopter with four people crashed into powerlines and ended up in the Meramec River at Meramec State Park in Sullivan, Missouri, around 1 p.m. Thursday, officials said.All four occupants made it out of the river safely and suffered “minor injuries”, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

They were under medical care at Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan, Missouri, KTVI reported.The Missouri DNR said a group of state park team members and the pilot were conducting ecological survey of Meramec State Park when their helicopter struck a powerline.Trained swimmers and EMS crews responded to assist with rescue efforts. The pilot and three passengers “self-rescued” themselves, the Missouri DNR said.No deaths were reported, according to the Missouri DNR.Officials from the Missouri DNR, Sullivan Fire Protection District and Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to scene, while MSHP also deployed another helicopter to assist with rescue and response efforts.“While we continue to investigate, we want to thank the first responders for their quick actions, and we are very thankful that everyone appears to be ok,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which was monitoring the situation closely, shared the following statement Thursday with FOX 2:“A Robinson R44 helicopter crashed in a river in Sullivan, Missouri, around 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 29. Four people were on board. The FAA will investigate.”The FAA urged anyone with information about the individuals on board to contact their local authorities. The FAA said it would post a preliminary accident or incident report here in the future, possibly as soon as Friday.Additional details were limited at this time. FOX 2 said it would update as more information became available.