Leo Gillick
While attempting to scoop up a bucket of water to combat a forest fire in France, a helicopter lost control and crashed into a lake.
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Footage from the scene shows the 27th time the pilot and his passenger picked up water from the lake using their helicopter. As it swooped in to scoop, the pilot overshot slightly. The helicopter descended far too quickly, and as a result, the tail of the aircraft dipped into the water.
As soon as this happened, the rear stabilizing rotor slowed and possibly broke. With nothing to keep the body of the helicopter spinning out of control, the helicopter began to spiral. Despite being able to pull the helicopter back up, above the lake, it was too late.
The body of the helicopter began to spin. The French pilot on board knew that there was no saving it, and brought the chopper back down. With a huge splash and a shower of water and broken helicopter parts, it crashed into the lake.
No Harm From Helicopter
Reports from the incident state that both the pilot and his passenger were able to escape the helicopter and get to shore. Both people on board the aircraft were taken to a local hospital. However, miraculously, nobody sustained life-threatening injuries, and they are all making a stable recovery.
NEW: Helicopter crashes into a lake while trying to scoop up water to fight a forest fire in France.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 25, 2025
The pilot was seen dropping too quickly to fill the bucket, with the chopper's tail submerging into the water.
According to local authorities, the two men in the helicopter… pic.twitter.com/Y3piXiV4Ha
Helicopter pilots working in emergency situations often perform death-defying feats with the aircraft. The risk involved in flying rescue missions is unbelievable and takes huge levels of skill. Fire-fighting helicopters not only have to collect water from lakes, but also carry it over huge wildfires.
The updrafts of these fires cause all kinds of unpredictable wind conditions and pressures. The challenge of flying a helicopter for these tasks is both mentally and physically exhausting. Because of this, the pilots are required to have high levels of skill.
The helicopter that took a plunge in the French lake while collecting water was reportedly on its 27th run of the day. The pilot had been, most likely, flying for hours before he made the small but catastrophic mistake.
