When the pilot flying the Charlotte County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office helicopter began to lift off from a lake after filling the Bambi bucket with water while helping to suppress a vegetation fire on Wednesday February 27, he noticed that something was missing — the bucket. Caused by either an equipment malfunction or the pilot accidentally hitting the wrong button, the bucket detached from the helicopter and disappeared into the murky water below.
Now it is sitting on the bottom of the lake while dive teams search by feel in the near-zero visibility water. The bucket was purchased pre-owned, but a new replacement would cost about $20,000 according to Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron.
