A pilot died after a helicopter crashed in Tampa Bay off Apollo Beach.
Officials have confirmed that a helicopter crashed into the water about 300-400 yards off shore, just southwest of Beer Can Island.
The initial call about the crash came in shortly after 3 p.m. Friday. Witnesses called 911 after seeing the helicopter plunge into the water.
One of the witnesses said he had just picked up his daughter from school when he heard a noise and turned to see the top propeller of the helicopter come off. He said the helicopter then plummeted into the water.
"At first, I thought it was a remote control plane," said Jeff Kritz, one of the two eyewitnesses who dialed 911. "And then I realized, no it wasn't. I saw the guy in there. He was low enough where you could see him. I didn't know if he was going to die or not but knew he was going to crash."
Matthew Skull says he heard a large 'clap' sound and saw the chopper's top rotor break off in the sky.
"It still kept going forward for a second and then it immediately dropped straight down, did a flip, and then hit the water and a huge splash of water," Skull said. "And I was just, I couldn't believe what I had just seen."
Detective Larry McKinnon of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said teamwork from all of the local and federal agencies paid off.
"You gotta act very quick on scenes like this because it could be the difference between life and death," McKinnon said.
More information will be released as it becomes available.