Authorities Identified the Victims of Miami-Dade Helicopter Crash

Wednesday, the father who died and the daughter who was hurt were named by the authorities. They died when the chopper they were in crashed into a southwest Miami-Dade canal, just west of Miami Executive Airport.

Three people were hurt in a crash around 1 p.m. Wednesday near 187th Avenue and SW 122nd Street. Clement Zanzuri, 71, and Jordan Ann Zanzuri, 27, were both taken to Jackson Memorial South Trauma Center.

Police say the man was declared dead when he got to the hospital, while his daughter was reported as being in stable condition.

Miami-Dade Helicopter CrashPhoto byWINK News

Police in Miami-Dade County said that the National Transportation Safety Board is looking into what caused the crash, but that they wouldn't have a clear answer for weeks. Police were called to the area because someone saw a chopper that looked like it was in trouble before it crashed into the water.

When cops arrived, they couldn't find the scene of the accident. But then they saw the woman come out of the water and tell the crews that her father was still trapped in the wreckage in the canal water.

Divers from the police force were able to bring the man ashore and start trying to revive him. The police haven't said where the helicopter was coming from before it crashed. Based on what people told CBS News Miami, it was clear that the helicopter was in trouble when it crashed.

Vivian Alvarez, a witness, said, "We just saw a helicopter very low, right behind where it happened." Thursday, crews pulled the wreckage out of the canal and took it away from the spot while the cause of the crash is still being looked into.

The Source:

cbsnews