The two passengers did not survive. A small helicopter leaving from Cannes crashed into the sea off the neighboring town of Mandelieu-la-Napoule this Thursday, according to firefighters.
The crash occurred “a few hundred meters from Cannes-Mandelieu airport” specifies the press release from the prefecture published early Thursday evening. “The two bodies were found on board the wreckage by fire brigade divers,” added the prefecture.
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“A small R22 type helicopter crashed at sea opposite the beaches of Mandelieu with two people on board,” the mayor of the town, Sébastien Leroy, initially announced on social networks, to explain to his constituents “the presence numerous vehicles and helicopters on site.”
The alert was given around 4 p.m. by witnesses to the crash. A large search and rescue system had been mobilized, including three fire boats, three others from sea rescuers from Cannes, Antibes and Théoules, and a Dragon helicopter from Civil Security, the prefecture said. The Antibes coastal nautical gendarmerie brigade and a security star from Cannes airport also participated in the system.