TAMPA, Fla. — He’s second to Tom Brady on the gridiron in Tampa, but Blaine Gabbert proved his worth off the field when he rushed to help a family after a helicopter crash.
A helicopter finishing a tour was planning to land at an airport when engine failure sent the aircraft crashing into the water near Peter O. Knight Airport, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
Hunter Hupp, who was on the helicopter with his parents and the pilot, told The Tampa Bay Times that he heard a popping sound in the rotor above his head before the crash.
“I’m pretty astonished that I am here standing here to talk to you,” Hupp told the newspaper.
Hupp described being trapped inside the helicopter by seatbelts and cords and struggling to get out after his parents and the pilot made their way to the surface.
“Let me tell you, helicopters sink really fast,” Hupp told Fox Sports. “We learned that rather quickly.”
Blaine Gabbert, the backup quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, happened to be on the water jet skiing, and raced to the scene to help the family, NBC Sports reported.
“They slowly brought us back to the shore, a sandy beach near the yacht club, and hung out for a while, were really nice,” Hupp told Fox Sports. “We exchanged pleasantries upon reaching the flat ground. They were really an asset in helping us out because we were the only ones out there for a while. It was a handshake and a hug and ‘Thank you so much.’”
Gabbert serves as backup quarterback to star Tom Brady for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, CBS Sports reported.
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