By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald
A 46-year-old Lake Tapps resident died after his helicopter crashed into the lake at about 4 p.m. Sunday.
According to reports, Russell Tom had taken his 37-year-old girlfriend for a ride in his Robinson R44 Raven helicopter, which he parked at his home in the Fairweather Cove development on the north end of the lake.
Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy Det. Ed Troyer said witnesses saw the helicopter hovering about 100 yards offshore about 200 feet in the air when the engine began making a loud popping sound.
“The helicopter went straight down into water,” Troyer said.
The girlfriend was able to get out of the sinking helicopter and make it to the surface. Residents in a boat took her to shore where she was treated by East Pierce Fire and Rescue emergency workers and later transported to Tacoma General Hospital.
Dive teams from East Pierce and the Sheriff's Department found the pilot in nearly 35 feet of water about 40 minutes after the accident occurred. Tom was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
It was reported Tom was the former owner of Downtown Harley Davidson in Tukwila and was a custom motorcycle designer.
Troyer said the helicopter was not recovered Sunday, but the craft was expected to be removed from the lake Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the sheriff's department will investigate the crash.
The sheriff's department and East Pierce contacted the Department of Ecology to handle the cleanup of fuel and oil that leaked from the helicopter while submerged.
Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.
