Crashed helicopter found abandoned on Exmoor in 2013

Martin and Luke Bennett, two water engineers from Barnstaple, found the helicopter when they were travelling from Dulverton to Withypool. “We were driving along when we spotted the helicopter – it was really quite bizarre,” said Martin. “We wondered why it had landed there as it was quite steep but as we got closer and had a proper look we realised it had crash-landed.

“There were bits hanging off and the wheels were broken off. “It looked as if it might have hit a tree or something. It had been very foggy the night before.”

The private helicopter was found by two water engineers from north Devon. Martin phoned Avon and Somerset Police, plus the neighbouring force covering Devon and Cornwall. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed a helicopter crash had been reported the previous night by the pilot, who was believed to have escaped uninjured.

Mr Bennett added: “We rang the police who said they had been unable to find it the night before because of thick fog. “I sent Luke over to just make sure there was no-one trapped inside and he found a log book with information about the pilot and where the helicopter had come from.” The log book was from Elite Helicopters, a company which operates privately owned craft.

At this point, Martin had travelled across the South West during his 15 years working as a water engineer, coming across his fair share of dramas.

“I think something like this helicopter is a once-in-a-lifetime thing but I have seen a lot over the years,” he said.

“There was a large barn fire one evening, and I’ve helped plenty of people who have gone round a corner too quickly and got stuck in a hedge.”