Helicopter crashes into Beaver Lake, pilot escapes unhurt

A privately owned helicopter crashed and sank in Beaver Lake near Whitefish Tuesday night.

The aircraft was occupied by one person, pilot Jordan White, who was able to escape and swim to shore, according to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry.

The helicopter is owned by Mike Goguen, the businessman and financier of Two Bear Air Rescue, according to Curry.

The pilot is the executive director of Two Bear. He is a former Flathead County Undersheriff.

The helicopter went down at about 10:30 p.m. It was helping to collect water to drop of a small wildfire that had started on Goguen’s land near the lake.

It’s still unclear what caused the crash. The incident will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The sheriff’s office Dive Rescue Team is working to recover the helicopter from the bottom of Beaver Lake.