News Crew Aids Passengers Injured in Plane Crash
A TV news crew in Florida acted as first responders.
— -- A TV news crew in Florida became first responders today when their helicopter came across a downed plane in the Everglades.
WPLG-TV said on its website that engineer Juan Rodriguez was traveling in the helicopter, in between news stories after the noon newscast, when he and others on the helicopter spotted the crash site in Broward County.
The helicopter landed and Rodriguez helped the injured, according to WPLG-TV. Three people were aboard the plane when it crashed. The WPLG-TV crew found two people who had minor injuries, including cuts and bruises, outside of the plane.
Barry Newman, an attorney at the law firm Spohrer & Dodd, identified the two passengers as Robert Spohrer and Steven Browning. Newman said the two men were partners in the firm and that they'd been released from the hospital.
"The plane involved is owned by a related corporation to the law firm Spohrer & Dodd, which specializes in aviation accident cases," Newman said.
The pilot, who also sustained injuries, was still in the plane when Rodriguez arrived. Newman said the pilot, whose name has not yet been released, remained in the hospital and was currently in surgery. The pilot's condition and extent of the pilot's injuries were unknown.
Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the plane was a Piper PA-32 that had crashed around 12:45 p.m. outside of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
WPLG-TV is an ABC News station.
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