3 saved from helicopter wreckage

LEE, Mass. (WWLP) - A veteran police officer and a utility worker sprung into action when a helicopter crashed nearby, pulling all three victims to safety while the blades of the helicopter were still moving.

The private helicopter went down around in the area of Tyringham Road in Lee around 3 o’clock on Tuesday.

Lee Police Officer Craig Desantis was working a nearby traffic detail when he saw the crash and called 911. Desantis and a utility crew worker ran towards the chopper while the engine was still running and fuel was leaking from the aircraft.

“One person that I took from the wreckage was still hooked into the chassis of the plane. So I unhooked him and dragged him from the wreckage,” Desantis said.

Between the two of them, they were able to pull all three victims to safety, the pilot and two workers. All three were rushed to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield with non-life threatening injuries. Their conditions are unknown at this time.

The private helicopter was contracted by Western Mass Electric’s parent company Northeast Utilities to work on power lines and do fiber optic work. A spokesperson for WMECO confirmed the helicopter was doing routine maintenance work when it crashed.

People living near the crash site told 22News their neighborhood was rocked by a huge bang.

“I saw a chopper come down three times and two guys were on the side of it. I heard they were pulling cable up for the cable line. The third time they came through it got kind of quiet and then I heard like the blades hitting the ground,” Randy Wade said.

Investigators and an environmental services company will return to the scene of a crash on Wednesday.