[Archive 2015-03-12] Ten killed in helicopter crash in Argentina, French Olympians among the dead

Historical archive — originally published 2015-03-12. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Three French sport stars are among the dead following a helicopter crash on Monday in Villa Castelli, Argentina. In total, ten people died after the crash, which involved two helicopters. The dead included passengers and both pilots in the mid-air collision. The victims were taking part in the French reality television show 'Dropped' when the accident happened.

The victims included Olympic swimmer Camille Muffat, Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine and Florence Arthaud, a yachtswoman. Both pilots were Argentinian, the remainder of the victims were French and worked as part of the television shows production team. Bodies of all ten of the victims have been retrieved and taken to the morgue.

The accident occurred while both helicopters were flying at a low altitude in tandem. Amateur camera footage shows the helicopters colliding when one appears to fly into the path of the other. It remains unclear what caused actions which lead to the crash. Cesar Angulo, Secretary of Security for La Rioja, the province in which the accident happened released an update. He said "An explosion occurred and it's believed that they must have collided. Aeronautical experts will have to determine that."

The television show involves contestants taking part in survival style activities in remote locations. Other contestants taking part included figure skater Philippe Candeloro, footballer Sylvain Wiltord, snowboarder Anne-Flore Marxer, swimmer Alain Bernard and Jeannie Longo, a cyclist. All the other contestants were uninjured during the accident.

Muffat became the Olympic champion in the 400m freestyle event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. The 25-year-old also won a silver and bronze medal at the same games in different events. Vastine, 28, also competed at the 2012 games, being eliminated from the Light Welterweight category in the quarter finals. He won a gold medal in the 2008 games in Beijing, China. Arthaud, 57, was a yachtswoman who won the 1990 Route du Rhum.

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