A helicopter accident in Utah’s Wasatch County this week involved four individuals and was captured on video. The aircraft lost control and crashed into a forested area near Timber Lakes.
The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office reported that the 911 Center received a text-to-911 dispatch around 3:10 p.m. on January 18. The crash occurred about 100 yards off State Road 35, near mile marker 20. Footage recorded by nearby snowmobilers showed the helicopter spiraling before plunging approximately 500 feet into the trees. Upon witnessing the incident, onlookers rushed to assist the passengers.
Onboard the helicopter was Kory Toone, his daughter Oaklee, the pilot, and the pilot’s wife. Remarkably, Toone was filming when the crash unfolded. “Hearing him coach my sister through that and keep her calm, they both think they’re about to die, and he’s keeping her calm,” said Toone’s other daughter, Baylee Demars. “And then you hear her call out to him saying, ‘I’m alive. I’m alive. Dad, are you alive?’ He responded back, and that was music to my ears. I was just so happy to hear that they could talk.”
Emergency responders arrived at the scene and found that, incredibly, none of the passengers were struck by trees despite the severity of the crash. However, Kory Toone sustained a critical head injury and was airlifted to a hospital for urgent medical attention.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with the Sheriff’s office stating that additional information will be released when it becomes available. This incident serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictability of aviation and the resilience of those who face life-threatening situations.