Miami-Dade

Father and daughter were onboard helicopter that crashed in SW Miami-Dade canal

Witnesses told police they saw the helicopter spinning before it crashed into the canal.

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A father and his daughter were identified as the two people who were onboard a helicopter that crashed into a canal Wednesday in southwest Miami-Dade.

Clement Zanzuri, 71, was identified by Miami-Dade Police as the man who died. His daughter, 27-year-old Jordan Ann Zanzuri, survived the crash and was in stable condition at the hospital.

Crews returned to the scene of the crash Thursday to remove what was left of the chopper from the water.

A father and his daughter were identified as the two people who were onboard a helicopter that crashed into a canal Wednesday in southwest Miami-Dade. NBC6's Amanda Plasencia reports

The Hughes 369 helicopter flying in from Fort Myers crashed at around 1:50 p.m. in an area near Southwest 184th Avenue and 122nd Street, about three miles west of Miami Executive Airport, according to Federal Aviation Administration officials.

NBC6 cameras were rolling as a truck pulled the helicopter wreckage from the scene on Thursday afternoon.

Witnesses told police they saw the helicopter spinning before it crashed into the canal.

The woman — Jordan Zanzuri — was seen coming out of the water on her own. She was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.

Divers were eventually able to pull Clement Zanzuri out of the water and perform CPR, but he later died at the hospital.

911 calls released Thursday revealed the panic and concern from witnesses as they called in about the crash.

"It's a pilot and his daughter. The daughter says that when they went down in the water by Krome that she was able to swim out, and she can't find him," a caller told a 911 dispatcher.

In one call, Jordan Zanzuri is heard talking to a dispatcher, crying and frantic over her father.

"I can't find my dad," she says through tears.

Records show 71-year-old Clement Zanzuri owned several businesses, including a stone works art company in Miami.

Barbara Delgado, the president and founder of Miami Dance Project, told NBC6 that Zanzuri was their landlord for many years.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Zanzuri family," a statement read. "Clement, a revered businessman and advocate for the arts, leaves behind a profound legacy in our community. His presence will be sorely missed by all.”

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.

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