UPDATE: A MAN has died after the homemade gyrocopter he was flying in crashed at Edgewater Terrace in Warneet just before 12:30pm today (Sunday).
ABC News reports suggest the gyrocopter hit powerlines before crashing into a creek at Edgewater Terrace.
One man trapped inside the machine died, while another – in his 30s – was rescued and treated for chest injuries at the scene before being airlifted to The Alfred in a serious condition.
Warneet resident Kylie Bowman said that while she didn’t see the crash happen, “we all heard a bang and everyone ran down there (to the crash site).
“The helicopter was in the water and people were standing around,” she said.
“I was on the phone to triple zero.”
Ms Bowman’s husband David helped get another local, Marcus Gauci, into the water. He paddled out in a canoe to the stricken machine after it had become clear there was someone trapped. Police later called Mr Gauci “very heroic”.
“I heard it go over – it didn’t sound like a normal helicopter,” Ms Bowman said.
“I called triple zero and five minutes later called again when someone was trapped.
“There was a guy sitting on the edge yelling out there was a person trapped.
“He (Marcus) was quite shaken up about it.”
Ms Bowman said the crash was “very sad”, particularly for such a quiet town.
“Locals tend to help out locals here,” she said.
“It was nothing for that guy to get in the canoe and go out.
“There were a lot of locals on the beach when it hit – it was one of those winters days when people were out of the house.”
