MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A Marion County Sheriff's Office helicopter that was assisting the Florida Forest Service and Marion County Fire Rescue with active brush fires on Tuesday evening crashed near Highway 315 and 212th Street Road in Fort McCoy, officials said.
The Sheriff's Office said the pilot of the helicopter, Sgt. John Rawls, was retrieving a load of water when the aircraft malfunctioned and went down into the lake.
Deputies said Rawls was able to free himself, swim to shore and call for help. He was taken to an area hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.
Rawls, an Army helicopter pilot veteran who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom, has been with the Sheriff's Office since 1998.
"Our pilot is OK, and though he does have some injuries, he should be fine," Sheriff Billy Woods said. "The Marion County Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service did an outstanding job in helping us get to our pilot out there in order to get him to the hospital, and I want to thank each of them for the services they provided. We are extremely grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly to make sure Sgt. Rawls got the emergency care he needed."