Bucs backup QB Blaine Gabbert helps rescue four helicopter crash survivors after an engine failure

[pwaldo]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nf...survivors.html

A helicopter crash in Tampa Bay nearly turned fatal, until the pilot and all three passengers were rescued with help from backup Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Blaine Gabbert and his brothers.

'I was just right place, right time, I guess,' Gabbert told reporters Friday after being named as an honorary member of the Tampa Police Marine Patrol. 'The credit really goes out to Tampa PD, you guys, the fire department, the sheriff's department, because they were there within five seconds. It was pretty remarkable.'

Philadelphia salesman Hunter Hupp and his parents, Wes and Lisa, were aboard a helicopter on Thursday evening when the rotor made a loud noise, which was later determined to be caused by an engine failure. The pilot, Rafael Ciriaco, was quickly forced to make an emergency landing about 200 yards from Davis Island, where Gabbert and other Bucs players, including Tom Brady, have residences.

Luckily for all four individuals, Gabbert and his brothers Tyler and Brett were out on the water, exploring Davis Island on their jet skis.

Gabbert and his brother put Hupp and his parents aboard their vessels to bring them to a nearby beach as rescue crews arrived promptly.

'We got two on my jet ski, my brother's got one, the pilot was still in the water, and that's when you guys pulled up,' Gabbert said, with rescuers in attendance at the Bucs' practice facility. 'I dragged [the pilot] a little bit towards the boat and he got on. Luckily enough, we were probably 250 meters from the beach, so we got [the Hupp family] to the beach. The fire department was there, everybody was there.'

Hupp described a pleasant exchange between himself, his parents, and their rescuers.

'They slowly brought us back to the shore, a sandy beach near the yacht club, and hung out for a while, were really nice,' Hupp said. 'We exchanged pleasantries upon reaching flat ground. They were really an asset to helping us out, because we were the only ones out there for a while. It was a handshake and a huge and ''Thank you so much.'' They went out for a nice afternoon ride and just happened to come upon a stranded helicopter family.'

Tampa Police arrived only moments after the Gabberts, but the quarterback and his brothers still managed to help the four victims avoid a potentially fatal situation by rushing to their rescue when they did.

'We think about all the what-ifs,' said Hupp. 'What happened obviously wasn't great, but we managed pretty well for what happened.'

Gabbert, meanwhile, credited the rescuers for their quick response: 'It wasn't me... The credit goes to these guys, because if they weren't there in the nick of time, it could have turned bad, and I'm glad everybody's healthy.'

[bakemeister52]

Nice job all around!

Bake