- A helicopter crash in Wasatch County left four passengers miraculously unharmed.
- The pilot's quick thinking and nearby snowmobilers' assistance were crucial to survival.
- The family is grateful and focused on recovery as the investigation continues.
SALT LAKE CITY — Just before the helicopter lifted off, there was excitement.
Cellphone video showed Kory Toone and his daughter, Oaklee, smiling and ready for the ride. It was a moment that now feels worlds away after what came next.
Just after takeoff Sunday afternoon near Timber Lakes in Wasatch County, something went wrong. The helicopter began spinning out of control, falling nearly 500 feet before crashing into trees near Wolf Creek Campground.
Four people were on board: the pilot, his wife, and their close friends Toone and his daughter.
"I couldn't believe it," said Baylee Demars, Toone's other daughter. "It really is my worst nightmare."
Demars, who lives in Utah County, said she received the call no one ever wants.
"My mind goes to worst-case scenario," she said. "I just needed him to tell me the words that they were alive."
As the helicopter fell, Toone was recording video inside the cabin.
Even after he dropped his phone, it kept recording and captured the audio that Demars said still gives her chills.
"Something you got to know about my dad is he's a rock. Hearing him coach my sister through that and keep her calm, they both think they're about to die, and he's keeping her calm," Demars said. "And then you hear her call out to him saying, 'I'm alive. I'm alive. Dad, are you alive?' He responded back and that was music to my ears. I was just so happy to hear that they could talk."
Demars described her father as adventurous, someone who loves anything with a motor and has always encouraged his daughters to be strong and fearless.
"Whether it's at the lake, in the mountains or in the dunes, he really showed us how to not be afraid and be tough girls," she said.
Toone suffered serious chest injuries, describing to his daughter the pain as feeling like "an elephant" had landed on him.
Oaklee hit her head in the crash.
Despite the violent impact, all four people on board survived and are now out of the hospital. Demars believes the outcome was nothing short of a miracle.
She credits the pilot for following his training and deliberately aiming for trees to soften the impact, a decision that may have saved lives.
Photos from the crash scene show branches puncturing the helicopter's cabin, yet none struck the passengers inside.
"Not a single tree touched the four people inside," she said. "Is that a miracle or what?"
Even the response on the ground felt improbable. Snowmobilers nearby witnessed the crash and rushed to help. One of them happened to be a nurse.
"When I tell you every single thing that could have gone right went right, and everything that could have gone wrong didn't happen," Demars said. "I can't thank that pilot enough. He really deserves a hero trophy in my book, as well as everyone who rushed to help and the Wasatch County Search and Rescue team."
She also said surviving something like this has changed how her family looks at life.
"The thing you experience when you think you're about to die is you're not thinking about your possessions," she said. "You're thinking about people, your family, your friends, your loved ones. My dad expressed that that was what was running through his mind."
Demars said her father feels he's been given another chance.
"He's not going to waste it," she said. "And I know my sister feels the same."
Oaklee will be out of work for some time as she recovers. Demars has set up a GoFundMe* donation page to help with medical expenses and lost income, as well as to assist her dad during his recovery.
For the family, the focus now is healing and gratitude.
"It's just a sobering experience to come that close to death and realize you have more breath and more life to live," Demars said. "Your mind can't help but flashback to all the times we've had together and how important it is to maintain those relationships and always be in a good place and never forget to say I love you and tell them what they mean to you."
The National Transportation Safety Board says the investigation into what went wrong continues to be investigated.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited into the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
