Horror moment helicopter plunges into Mexico reservoir but all three on board miraculously survive

This is the scary moment a helicopter plunges into a reservoir during a firefighting exercise, but all three people onboard miraculously survived.

A video filmed by a shocked onlooker shows the aerial firefighting team lowering the helicopter's bucket to the lake below. But as the bucket fills with water, the pilot appears to encounter a technical problem and the helicopter veers off-screen for a moment.

The chopper is then seen plunging from the sky and crashing into the reservoir side-on. The cameraperson gasps in shock as the chopper ends up on its side in the water.

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The scary scenes were filmed at La Boquilla Dam in Chihuahua, Mexico, on Thursday afternoon. The state government said in a statement: "Following the crash of a helicopter at Chihuahua Dam, Civil Protection teams and Municipal Police officers acted immediately to rescue the crew."

The search team used another chopper and a drone to help find the survivors during the rescue operation. The three crew members - who haven't been named - were rescued from the reservoir and taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance.

They were taking part in aerial firefighting exercises when the Bell 206 helicopter, owned by a private company, plunged into the water. Preliminary reports said the chopper suddenly lost engine power. The authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

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Earlier this year, a tourist helicopter which was only meant to be in the sky for 12 minutes suddenly lost control and fell from the sky in Colombia. The chopper, which was was carrying guests to a fancy dinner in Medellin city center, hit the side of a tall building - but all six people on the Bell 206 helicopter survived.

One passenger was quickly taken to the hospital with a broken leg and cuts, but most of them weren't hurt. The helicopter ride was part of a dining experience offered by Hangar, an airplane-themed restaurant in the Manrique neighborhood of Medellin. Customers pay about $73 for a short 12 to 15-minute flight from Olaya Herrera Airport to the restaurant, where they are greeted with a cocktail.

But instead, the helicopter started to go down just a few minutes into the ride. Many of the people in the video look shocked as they called their families to tell them they love them. In a scary video, Francisco Salas, a 36 year old holidaymaker from Texas, talked about the crash saying: "I've been in a helicopter crash. We are very high up and waiting for the police and rescue team."