Horror moment helicopter crashes into pond as witnesses heard screaming

A firefighting helicopter crashed into a pond while trying to collect water to extinguish wildfires in France. The dramatic moment was captured on video and later shared to social media channels, where it racked up lots of views.

Images show the chopper descending towards the pond and then dipping its "bambi bucket" into the water. However, the pilot appeared to misjudge the speed of his approach and sent the helicopter into a tail spin. The chopper flipped over onto its side, coming to an abrupt halt with witnesses watching on in horror.

One can be heard screaming: ""Holy cow, holy cow, holy cow!"

Fortunately, the pilot and firefighter were able to scramble to safety and were helped ashore by relieved onlookers. Later, the local prefecture confirmed in a statement that both were "safe and sound".

The video footage was shot by a 22-year-old local resident called Thibault, who was out with friends enjoying their Sunday afternoon in the commune of Rosporden in Finistère.

As the chopper approached, he grabbed his mobile, thinking he would capture an "impressive" scooping operation. However, he ended up getting much more than he bargained for, sensationally recording the moment of the crash instead.

"After I took the video, a friend of mine takes his paddleboard and starts going over to them," he told French news channel BFMTV.

"They got out and said 'we're not hurt, everything's fine'."

The accident happened at 7pm on Sunday, after the helicopter had already made 27 drops earlier in the day.

The chopper was helping firefighters battle a wildfire in the Finistere department of Beuzec-Cap-Sizun and was collecting water to try and put out a fire threatening a home in the Rosporden area.

The French Civil Aviation Authority has opened a safety investigation into the incident.