Helicopter crashes near Trinis at Miami Beach

A bride-to-be from Diego Martin is thankful for life after a helicopter crashed mere meters away from where she was bathing with three friends at Miami Beach on Saturday.

In a WhatsApp interview with Newsday, Anya Dow said she was so shaken she considered moving her scheduled March wedding to Sunday, if not sooner.

"Life is too short and I am happy I still have my wedding to look forward to," she said when asked how the incident affected her.

The 29 year old was in the US to enjoy her bachelorette party with friends. She said she was in the water with two friends from TT and one Canadian, at about 2.15 pm, when one of them pointed out that a helicopter was hovering over the beach.

Dow said she and her friends were enjoying the "good weather and vibes" when one of them shouted for them to look up.

"When I turned and looked up I saw this black helicopter falling out of the sky. One of the propellers appeared to be wobbling as the aircraft was coming down."

The project co-ordinator added: "Next thing the helicopter rolled and hit the water just maybe 25 meters from where we were. There was a big boom when it hit the water. I could not believe it! Imagine, a second or so less and it could have crashed right where we’re standing."

Miami Beach police shared a video of the crash on social media. Media reports said the two passengers were rescued and taken from the helicopter before it sank.

Dow said sea bathers rushed to get the passengers out of the wreck as authorities and lifeguards swooped in. The injured were removed from the water using a surfboard and a spine board.

While the injured were being rescued, some of Dow's friends were asked to guard personal belongings of men who ran into the water to help.

"This could have been a much worse accident and serves a good reminder of how lucky we all are to be alive."