LAKE JESUP, Fla. — A routine day on Lake Jesup turned into an extraordinary rescue when a local airboat crew stepped in to help a helicopter in distress.
On July 2, Derrick Lockhart of Airboat Rides at Midway received a call about a helicopter experiencing mechanical issues nearby. After gathering details about the aircraft’s size, Lockhart and his crew quickly loaded an airboat and headed onto Lake Jesup.
They found the helicopter hovering over a small island. Lockhart says the state uses it to monitor alligator farms and eggs. The helicopter landed safely, but extracting it was challenging.
It took a team of 14 people to carefully lift the helicopter—estimated to weigh up to 1,700 pounds—onto the front of the airboat. From there, the crew transported both the aircraft and its occupants safely back to dry land.
“I’ve never rescued a helicopter before. It’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime event,” Lockhart said.
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