A firefighting helicopter crashed in the Lake Aoos in north-western Greece at noon on Thursday, June 25, 2026. According to preliminary information, the two crew members have survived the crash.
The helicopter was involved in firefighting operations, when during the refueling of water form the lake a problem occurred and it was not possible to take off.
The moment the firefighting helicopter crashed into Lake Aoos is captured in a video broadcast on Mega TV.
🚁 Βίντεο ντοκουμέντο με την πτώση πυροσβεστικού ελικοπτέρου στη Λίμνη Αώου, στο Μέτσοβο, κατά τη διάρκεια υδροληψίας έδωσε στη δημοσιότητα το Mega.
🔥 Το εναέριο μέσο συμμετείχε στην επιχείρηση κατάσβεσης της μεγάλης πυρκαγιάς στην περιοχή των Γρεβενών, όταν -σύμφωνα με τις… pic.twitter.com/nLABdlw5Zh
— TA NEA (@ta_nea) June 25, 2026
The two passengers are safe. They were taken to the hospital as a precaution for first aid. The pilot and the assistant managed to get out of the helicopter before it sank.
The helicopter had taken off from Ioannina airport to help extinguish a forest fire that had broken out in the Valia Kalda mountain near Grevena.
After the crash, the two people on board, a Greek and a foreign national, were seen swimming towards the shore, media reported.
Ambulances and firefighters have rushed to the area to provide the pilot and the co-pilot with First aid.
Πτώση ελικοπτέρου αεροπυρόσβεσης στην τεχνητή λίμνη Αώου.
Διεσώθησαν και τα δύο μέλη του πληρώματος. https://t.co/Zuhw59pOTq— Πυροσβεστικό Σώμα (@pyrosvestiki) June 25, 2026
According to latest information, the two crew members who managed to get out of the helicopter before it sank are safe. They were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The firefighting operation in Valia Kalda is ongoing as the front is located in a difficult and inaccessible spot, far from homes and infrastructure.
The circumstances under which the heli crash occurred are being investigated.
Last summer, another firefighting helicopter with three onboard made an emergency landing in the sea west of Athens while it was also attempting to refuel water.
