Investigators are looking into what caused a Marion County sheriff’s helicopter to crash Tuesday into a lake.
Sgt. John Rawls was piloting the helicopter about 6:30 p.m. while helping firefighters with a brush fire near County Road 315 and 212th Street in the Fort McCoy area when it went down, sheriff’s officials said.
Rawls was the only person on board at the time and had a bucket attached to the helicopter to fill with water and dump on the flames. Officials said when Rawls flew over the lake to fill the bucket, something went wrong and the helicopter — named Air One — crashed into the water.
Rawls managed to get out on his own and swam to shore, where he called for help, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Fire crews helped deputies forge a path to the lake so emergency medical crews could reach Rawls. They took him to a local hospital, where he was listed in stable condition late Tuesday. His injuries weren’t considered serious, sheriff’s officials said.
Rawls has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 1998 and also served as a helicopter pilot in the Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom, officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were called to investigate.
sallen@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5417
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