Second submerged helicopter found in Lake Apopka crashed same day as the first, officials say

OAKLAND, Fla. – A private company retrieving a helicopter that crashed in Lake Apopka Tuesday found another one Wednesday morning, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials said the second helicopter appeared to have fallen in the lake “later in the day (Tuesday) after the first one,” adding that its pilot is safe and that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified.

The view from Sky 6 showed both helicopters submerged in the water, both with their skids up, as one was floated away.

A pilot survived after a helicopter went down Tuesday morning in Lake Apopka near Oakland, rescue officials said.

According to the FAA, the first crash occurred as the helicopter’s pilot — the aircraft’s only occupant — was conducting “agriculture operations.” A private boat took the pilot back to shore, where Orange County Fire Rescue officials said they were checked for injuries.

One person was transported to the hospital as a hazmat alert for “brief exposure to pesticides,” OCFR officials said.