The helicopter’s main rotor was tangled by a kite string, and Harris filmed the entire terrifying crash. Photos: YouTube//Screenshot
A little over a year ago, a miner from Australia named Russell Harris and his partner Keylla decided they’d take a scenic helicopter ride in the skies above Bali, the iconic surf destination, as most of you know it. They boarded the Bell 505 Jet Ranger with excitement, but that excitement turned to terror when the string from a ceremonial kite flown near Uluwatu wrapped itself around the rotor just a few minutes after take off. The helicopter plummeted towards the ground and crashed near the cliffs of Pecatu. Thankfully, Harris, his partner, and the two others on board escaped alive.
Now, Harris is speaking out about the Bali helicopter crash because the tour company operator has stopped paying for their medical recovery costs. According to 9News, PT. Whitesky Aviation, which goes by Bali Heli Tour, agreed to pay for their bills but halted payments after three months.
Terrifying footage of the crash shows the helicopter falling nearly 1,000 feet to the ground below. “I’m upside down,” Harris remembered. “I cannot release myself. I cannot get out. I’m trying for all my life because all I’m looking at is this fluid dripping in front of me. I’m thinking, “I’ve survived before, but now I’m about to die in a fireball.”
According to Harris and Keylla, the crash has significantly affected their lives. “Since the accident,” Keylla told reporters, “I can’t work, I can’t even take care of my kids. So these people need to know that our life is totally messed up.”
Harris told 9News Australia that the helicopter company’s refusal to continue paying for their medical bills has resulted in long-lasting repercussions, and now he and his partner are in a legal battle with PT. Whitesky Aviation.
“If they stuck to their agreement, and we got the treatment we were supposed to get,” Harris said, “we would be sitting here in more of a comfortable state. Absolutely.”
