A support helicopter working the SCORE Baja 500 off-road race crashed Saturday, June 6, in ejido Héroes de la Independencia near Valle de la Trinidad, injuring four people on board. Two of the injured required emergency evacuation by a second helicopter to Hospital Velmar in Ensenada.
The aircraft had been providing logistical support and competitor monitoring along the race route. According to the Mexican news magazine Proceso, a strong crosswind struck the helicopter as it was preparing to refuel, forcing it into a sudden, uncontrolled descent. The pilot managed to execute an emergency landing, preventing a more severe outcome.
Two Evacuated to Hospital Velmar
Emergency crews assigned to the race and Ensenada municipal paramedics reached the crash site quickly. Paramedics confirmed that two of the four occupants suffered considerable injuries and were airlifted to Hospital Velmar in the city of Ensenada for treatment. The condition of the other two occupants has not been publicly detailed.
The crash site was located away from the competition course itself. Valle de la Trinidad sits roughly 130 kilometers (80 miles) southeast of Ensenada along the Baja 500 route, in a remote, mountainous area of the municipality.
A Difficult Weekend for the Baja 500
The helicopter crash was the second major incident during the 58th edition of the SCORE Baja 500. A motorcyclist also died during the race, as BDN reported separately. Proceso also noted a collision between two vehicles driven by spectators in the Santa Catarina area, which SCORE personnel attended to during the day.
Heavy vehicles in the race’s various classes launched at 8:00 a.m. Saturday from Ensenada’s Bulevar Costero, while motorcycles had departed at 3:00 a.m. The Baja 500 draws thousands of spectators and support crews to remote desert terrain across the Ensenada municipality each year.
Ensenada Mayor issued a public statement expressing solidarity with those involved in the helicopter crash and their families, though she did not provide further details on the investigation or the victims’ identities.
This story was first reported by Semanario Zeta, with additional details from Tribuna de México and Proceso.