Huntington Beach chopper crash: Bystanders rush to help child trapped under wreck in heart-pounding video | Watch

A chilling video has captured the moment bystanders ran to help a young boy trapped under a helicopter near a California beach.

Published on: Oct 13, 2025, 11:48:47 IST

By Sumanti Sen

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A chilling video has captured the moment bystanders ran to help a young boy trapped under a helicopter near a California beach Saturday, October 11. A 1980 Bell 222 helicopter (tail number N222EX), owned by aviation influencer Eric Nixon, crashed in the Southern California city of Huntington Beach in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 11: The wreckage of a helicopter that crashed is seen on Pacific Coast Highway on October 11, 2025 in Huntington Beach, California. Five people were reportedly onboard and transported to a local hospital. Michael Heiman/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Michael HEIMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) (Getty Images via AFP)

The video, obtained by KTLA-TV, shows the plane spinning out of control at the ‘Cars N Copters’ event in Huntington Beach. The chopper came crashing down, with bystanders ducking for cover. They then approached the wreck, under which the child, Oliver Holland, was trapped. Two men rushed to help the boy before the video ended.

Nixon shared on Instagram that the pilot and passenger were safe. Two other adults and the child were wounded and hospitalized.

GoFundMe set up for Oliver Holland

Holland’s sister, Madeline, has set up a GoFundMe for the child’s recovery. Holland has been identified by his family, but not by officials.

“Oliver was enjoying a day at the beach when suddenly a helicopter malfunctioned and came crashing down on him. He is currently in the hospital receiving surgery; he has a collapsed lung and brain bleed. We are praying for a safe recovery and we can’t really say anything else. We don’t know what is going to happen,” the sister wrote.

She added, “Oliver was the smartest, funniest boy I have ever known. I pray for my brother and a safe recovery. We want to spread awareness of this, and anything can help. We aren’t sure exactly what happened or who owned the helicopter, but it may be the event Carandcopter (I am not accusing or blaming them) which the helicopter was participating in. Please pray for Oliver.”

Madeline explained that the donations will be used for Holland’s medical expenses as he recovers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

Home/Trending/Us/Huntington Beach Chopper Crash: Bystanders Rush To Help Child Trapped Under Wreck In Heart-pounding Video | Watch