Buccaneers quarterback Blaine Gabbert found himself at the right place at the right time when a helicopter crashed into Tampa’s Hillsborough Bay on Thursday evening. The longtime NFL signal-caller was able to assist with the rescue effort of the helicopter’s four passengers, all of whom emerged without injuries.
Gabbert, who lives on Davis Island in Tampa, Fla., and his brothers were out on jet skis when they heard a noise out on the water. They rode over to investigate the sounds and discovered signs of an incident. At the scene of the crash, the Gabbert brothers discovered 28-year-old Hunter Hupp, and his parents Wes and Lisa, as well as the pilot in the water next to the sinking helicopter.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference Friday, Gabbert said he dialed 9-1-1 and began working with his brothers to pull the four passengers onto their jet skis.
“I was just right place, right time, I guess,” Gabbert said on Friday. “… I got two on my jet ski, my brothers got one. The pilot was still in the water, and that was when you guys [Tampa police and fire departments] pulled up and I dragged him a little bit towards the boat and he got on. Luckily we were probably 250 meters from the beach, so we got them to the beach. The fire department, everybody was there, and the rest is history.
“… It wasn’t me, it was just my brothers and I out having fun. Credit goes to these guys [Tampa first responders], because if they weren’t there in the nick of time, it could have turned out bad.”
Thanks in part to the efforts of Gabbert and his brothers, all four individuals on the flight—which landed in the water approximately 200 yards from shore due to an engine failure according to authorities—emerged safely. The Tampa Police Department said in a news release it “is currently coordinating with local and federal agencies regarding the investigation and eventual recovery of the helicopter.”
