MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Jordan Zanzuri called 911 moments after she swam out of a southwest Miami-Dade canal following a helicopter crash that would ultimately claim the life of her father.
The 27-year-old was panicked in the 911 call, placed Wednesday afternoon after a Hughes 369 chopper, piloted by her father, 71-year-old Clement Zanzuri, crashed into the water.
“I can’t find my dad,” Jordan Zanzuri is heard saying in the recording, through tears.
Other 911 callers reported seeing the chopper spin out of control before plunging into the canal, located near Southwest 122nd Street, west of Krome Avenue, in rural Miami-Dade.
“Are you hurt?” the dispatcher asks Jordan Zanzuri.
“Yes, I’m really hurt,” she replies. “My back and neck are really harmed.”
Rescuers later pulled the elder Zanzuri from the canal but were not able to save his life. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Jordan Zanzuri remained hospitalized at Jackson South Medical Center as of Friday.
A former tenant of Clement Zanzuri remembered the “revered businessman” fondly in a statement to Local 10 News Friday.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Zanzuri family,” Barbara Delgado, owner of dance school Miami Dance Project, said. “Clement, a revered businessman and advocate for the arts, leaves behind a profound legacy in our community. His presence will be sorely missed by all.”
Federal authorities are investigating the crash, while the Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating Clement Zanzuri’s death.