A Florida woman was lying in bed when an 80-pound inflatable life raft came crashing through the roof of her Miami home after falling off a Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter.
Luce Rameau told the Miami Herald that she thought a bomb had gone off Wednesday when the uniflated boat hit her house in the 14000 block of NE 10th Court and left her covered in dust and debris from the roof.
Miami-Dade police say the helicopter, a CH-146 Griffon, was heading to the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport after conducting an off-shore search-and-rescue training exercise when the yellow raft somehow separated from the aircraft at 3.30pm.
Fell form the sky: This uniflated life raft fell off a Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter flying over Miami and landed inside a woman’s bedroom
Sky roof: The 80-pound raft left a gaping hole in the roof of the residence on Wednesday
Boom! Luce Rameau said it sounded like an explosion when the raft landed in her room while she was lying in bed. She suffered minor injuries (seen right)
The heavy piece of rescue equipment left a gaping hole in Rameau’s roof, which is visible in aerial footage, and landed just inches from her bed.
Photos and video taken inside the room in the wake of the freak accident show wooden beams resting on the bed and other building materials poking from the hole in the roof.
The homeowner suffered minor injuries but acknowledges that the outcome could have been much worse.
‘When I saw that, I was, like, shocked … it was like BOOM!’ Rameau said, mimicking the loud noise. ‘I say “God, thank you” because I could die.’
Northern visitors: The raft came from a CH-146 Griffon helicopter, which was heading to the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport after conducting an off-shore search-and-rescue training exercise (stock image)
The raft, which can sit up to six people when inflated, caused serious damage to the Miami home
The crash sent wooden beams and debris raining on the bed, which was occupied
National Post reported that when inflated, the raft can sit up to six passengers. In its uniflated state, the raft is stored in a plastic carrier measuring 2 feet by 2 feet and is strapped down inside the helicopter.
RCAF spokesman David Lavallee told The Canadian Press that the military is now trying to determine how and why the raft ‘separated’ from the aircraft, reported CTV News.ca.
Canadians soldiers went to Rameau’s damaged home on Wednesday night to retrieve the raft and the military will be providing the woman with temporary accommodations and additional support.
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.