Four people dead after two helicopters collide near Sea World on Gold Coast

Four people have died and three are in a critical condition after two helicopters collided near Sea World on the Gold Coast.

More than a dozen people were assessed by the Queensland ambulance service after the helicopters came into contact on Monday afternoon. Police confirmed at a press conference four people were killed and three critically injured.

One helicopter managed to land successfully near the Sea World theme park after the collision which occurred about 2pm local time (3pm AEDT).

Acting Insp Gary Worrell said it was a “difficult scene”. “Four people have lost their lives today and we have three others critical in hospital,” he told reporters.

There were “lots of moving parts” and it was initially difficult to access the crash site on a sandbank, he said.

“[From] our initial inquiries it would appear that one has been taking off and one has been landing,” Worrell said.

“[One] airframe has the windscreen removed and it’s landed safely on the island. The other airframe has crashed and it was upside down. Members of the public and police tried to remove the people and they commenced first aid and tried to get those people to safety.”

Police and rescue personnel inspect one of the helicopters at the crash scene. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Witness Va Tuala, who was visiting from Ipswich, said she heard a “sudden, loud bang”.

“It sounded almost like a loud thunderstorm. As we turned towards the noise, we just saw both helicopters in the air and one had basically been hit by the other,” she told Guardian Australia.

“It just spiralled out of control and we saw it basically crashing down, and we saw the debris from the crash. The other helicopter managed to land safely and everyone basically just stopped … we were all just looking at what had happened.

“It seemed like something out of a movie. When the other helicopter had landed we saw passengers or maybe the pilot running towards the helicopter that had crashed and a whole bunch of people just running towards it.”

People on jetskis and in boats rushed to help the victims at the small sand island off the theme park before paramedics and police arrived on the scene.

The helicopters on the sandbank. Photograph: Nine News

Police urged motorists and pedestrians to avoid Seaworld Drive at Main Beach.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has begun an investigation. The chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said the ATSB would publish a preliminary report within six to eight weeks.

“Transport safety investigators with experience in helicopter operations, maintenance and survivability engineering are deploying from the ATSB’s Brisbane and Canberra offices and are expected to begin arriving at the accident site from Monday afternoon,” he said.

“During the evidence-gathering phase of the investigation, ATSB investigators will examine the wreckage and map the accident site.”

Anyone who saw the collision, witnessed the helicopters in any phase of their flights, or has footage of any kind, should contact the ATSB, the bureau said.

Photographs showed a Sea World logo on one of the helicopters. A witness said one of the helicopters had been conducting joy flights from Sea World in the hours before the collision. Guardian Australia has contacted Sea World.

The Queensland ambulance service said “multiple QAS resources and other emergency services” were on the scene.

Witness Jonathon James Spagnol said the crash happened after helicopters got too close, with one’s rear rotor sawing off the other’s.

“Yea 2 choppers hit each other. Look like one went up and one was coming back in. Chopped the back off the other landed on the sand bar. Was right behind us,” he wrote on Facebook.

Carmen Renèe Mallia wrote: “I seen it also. I was absolutely shocked. Shook me to the core. I hope everyone was ok.”

“Saw it hit something from the car and it just went straight down. Hope everyone is okay,” Billie Tunks said on Facebook.

- Additional reporting Australian Associated Press