A video has captured the moment when a police helicopter crashed into Lake Balaton in Hungary. The incident happened on Thursday afternoon during a planned exercise of the Air Policing Service in Balatonszeplak, Hungary, as per a Sky News report.
The video shared on Reddit and several other social media platforms showed how the helicopter spun uncontrollably, crashed into the lake, and slowly sank into the water. The helicopter crashed into the water about 300 meters from the shore.
''Hungarian MD-500E police helicopter falls into Lake Balaton. Two policemen suffered minor injuries (Hungary, 2023-09-07),'' the video caption reads.
Watch the video here:
Hungarian MD-500E police helicopter falls into lake Balaton. Two policeman suffered minor injuries (Hungary, 2023-09-07)
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Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in the accident and the two-man crew was later rescued by a boat. The two policemen were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
According to Hungary Today, divers arrived at the scene around 5 p.m. on Thursday afternoon and started to assess the technical rescue options.
In a statement, The National Police Headquarters said, ''During a planned exercise of the Air Police of the Rapid Response and Special Police Service, on 7 September 2023 at 14.44 near Balatonszéplak, about 300 meters from the shore, a helicopter of type MD-500E crashed into the water of the lake for reasons that are currently unclear. The two-man crew of the plane were rescued by a nearby boat and brought to shore without serious injury. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.''
As per Britannica, Lake Balaton, the largest lake in central Europe, is located in central Hungary about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Budapest. The lake and its environment accommodate a rich and diverse flora and fauna. The lake, surrounded by vineyards, volcanic mountains, and thermal spa resorts, attracts a lot of tourists.
