VIDEO: Helicopter crashes nose first into water off Coquina Beach

LONGBOAT KEY (WWSB) - A helicopter crashed Saturday into the water around 100 yards away from the Coquina Beach boat ramp on Longboat Key.

It happened around 12:30pm. Deputies say the pilot, 48-year-old Josef Bakker, who recently received his pilot license, was flying over the Intercoastal Waterway while his co-pilot, 41-year-old James Rahming, took photos of boats.

At some point, deputies say Bakker made a maneuver to change directions in the Robinson R22 helicopter but failed to realize he didn’t have enough altitude for the move. The helicopter hit the water nose first.

Bakker and Rahming were pulled from the water. Neither were injured.

The aircraft was towed to the Coquina Beach boat ramp, where it was eventually removed from the water.

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