Onlookers investigate the wreckage. Photo / Supplied
Onlookers investigate the wreckage. Photo / Supplied
A Kiwi father on board a helicopter that crashed landed at a Fijian resort island cradled his young daughter as the chopper lurched out of control.
Miraculously, everyone survived, with the Toresen family of Auckland suffering relatively minor cuts and bruises.
They left from Auckland for their Christmas holiday yesterdayand after arriving at Nadi International Airport, boarded a chopper bound for the Treasure Island resort, 10 minutes away.
But just as the Island Hoppers Eurocopter was touching down, freak gusts of wind blew it out of control.
There were seven people on board, including the Kiwi pilot and an Australian couple in their 60s.
Aaron Toresen was with his wife Nicky and daughters Suzy, 6, and Heidi, 9.
He said as the wind hit, the pilot put the engines at full throttle as it gained height. It then smashed into the ground and lurched around, out of control, before coming to a stop.
"We've got a few cuts and bruises and things but I think, considering how bad it could have been, we're all feeling alright," Mr Toresen told NZME from Treasure Island, where his family is seeing out the rest of their holiday.
"The pilot commented as we were coming in there were some pretty strong gusts of wind and some of the people here at the resort said they'd noticed a couple of big gusts just as we landed.
"When we touched down, a big gust knocked the chopper up. The pilot - I don't know whether he had a choice or not frankly - he went full throttle. He absolutely gunned it."
Onlookers investigate the wreckage. Photo / Supplied
As he tried to lift the chopper again, it lurched forward.
"When we went forward, we went through some trees," Mr Toresen said.
The palm trees were sliced by the helicopter blades and it appeared the chopper was out of control, thrashing from side to side.
"It was pretty dramatic stuff. When we went through a palm tree we chopped the top off completely."
At this stage, Mr Toresen could see the resort's pool and he said it was "miracle" the chopper didn't come down there.
"My family was on the side that hit the ground. I think we would have been in big trouble if it landed [in the water]."
Once it hit the ground, the chopper was jammed between palm trees.
"When we hit, the impact was pretty hard, as you can imagine. But then the engines were still running and the blades were smashing into the ground.
During the terrifying ordeal, which he said passed in slow motion; he wrapped her in his body and tucked her head into his chest.
His shoulders were around her, to protect the young girl's head.
When they hit the ground, Mr Toresen's arm went through the window.
Nicky and Heidi Toresen. Photo / Supplied
Daughter Heidi was the least hurt, he said. The Australian woman required stitches to a cut and hurt her hip. She was taken by helicopter to hospital in Nadi.
"It was horrific. The thing is, as it was going through all those trees, it lurched up. You could see there's no way [the pilot] could control it. You've got no idea how it's all going to end.
"You've got two little kids and all you're thinking about [is], is there anything you can to protect them," he said.
"We feel quite grateful. It's the best Christmas present you can have. Your kids walk out of something like that alive and besides cuts and bruises, pretty well uninjured.
"We're just enormously grateful, for us as passengers and also for the people around the poolside."
Today, the family has largely carried on with their holiday plans as normal, including some snorkelling, as they try to take their children's minds off what happened.
At their daughters' behest though, the Toresens won't be taking a helicopter out of the resort.
They've not been put off flying in general, although Suzy isn't keen on helicopters, saying it was appropriate they started with "hell".
Mr Toresen praised staff at the resort for helping them and for promptly cleaning up the crash debris and re-filling the swimming pool. He was also impressed the New Zealand High Commission had checked on his family's welfare.
The wreckage was still perched next to the pool and an investigator was on the scene.
Meanwhile, Mr Toresen said his family felt like "b-list celebrities" as the object of others' attention and curiosity.
They planned on attending a Christmas celebration tonight and more snorkelling tomorrow.
"I think it's a bit of a Christmas miracle really. I look at our little daughters and think it could have been so very bad. A thousand things could have gone slightly differently and it could have been a very different outcome."
Treasure Island general manager Robert Wade told the Herald the New Zealand staff raced to the beachfront crash site and helped the passengers who had cuts and bruises.
"Our nurse tended to the passengers and the crew and made sure they were okay," said Mr Wade.
No one was seriously injured and all the holidaymakers had chosen to stay in the islands for their break, he said.
As a precaution the Australian couple first flew back to the mainland for a medical check-up before resuming their holiday at a different resort.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it had offered the Kiwi family assistance.
Mr Wade said the incident was being investigated by Fiji's Civil Aviation Authority.
Australian Bob Carroll was eating with his family just 50 metres away when the Eurocopter smashed into a tree before hitting another tree and crashing next to a pool.
"Holy s***!! Bizarreo and freaky and scary but thank God all got out of the chopper and we are all OK," Mr Carroll said on Facebook.
The wreckage will return to the Fiji mainland by barge.
Island Hoppers' sales and marketing manager Sheryn Ambler said she wasn't able to say much at the moment, because of the ongoing investigation, but she was thankful there were no serious injuries.
"That's what we care about, so that's a good thing. They are all well."
She was hopeful the cause of the crash would come out soon.
The pilot, who she confirmed was a New Zealander who lived in Fiji, was fine.
"He's obviously feeling pretty bad but he's OK. It's not nice for anybody to be in any form of accident."
