A small helicopter transporting Shane McMahon, son of WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, crashed Wednesday morning in the Atlantic Ocean near Gilgo Beach in Long Island, New York. Neither McMahon nor the pilot, the only two passengers, were injured, ABC 7 New York reports.
“I’d like to thank the man upstairs for looking out this morning & thanks to pilot Mario, Suffolk Co. Marine Bureau & Fire Island Coast Guard,” McMahon tweeted Wednesday afternoon.
The FAA stated that the Robinson R-44 helicopter landed on its pontoon skids just prior to 10:30 a.m. The pilot sent out a mayday call before the crash landing, and a commercial flight heading into JFK airport heard the emergency call and alerted the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
A rescue crew – including two life guards on kayak, and assisted by NYPD Aviation and SCUBA units – retrieved McMahon and the pilot, holding them until police arrived. The pilot is expected to issue a statement after speaking with the FAA.
The helicopter is reportedly registered to “Awesome Flight LLC” of White Plains, New York.
Watch footage of the emergency landing via CBS below:
