Two feared dead as Helicopter carrying seven people plunges into Lake Atitlan in Guatemala

Two people are still missing from the incident of a helicopter accident in Guatemala.

A helicopter carrying at least seven people plunged into Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, an incident which saw five passengers, the survivors, being rescued but two others are still missing and feared dead.

Dramatic footage has emerged from the area showing the exact moment a helicopter flying into the scene before dipping into the waters of Lake Atitlán near Panajachel, Sololá, in Guatemala, amid rainy weather on Thursday, October 8, 2026.

Lake Atitlán is around 1,500m elevation, top that with fast-changing weather it means any single-engine helicopter must maintain generous margins for operations there.

The Airbus Helicopters H130, with registration TG-GUH, departed La Aurora International Airport at 12:11 p.m. local time, bound for a hotel on the northern side of the lake.

The flight was expected to last approximately 30 minutes and the people onboard are said to have been tourists.

As it happens, the H130 is a very widespread aircraft in tourist operations.

The choppers are also popular in Spain, serving the industry.

For observers, what happened with the Atitlán is a tragedy.

According to Guatemala’s General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC), the accident occurred between 12:35 p.m. and 12:48 p.m.

Seven people were reportedly on board when the helicopter went down.

Added to our database with the full flight profile: departed La Aurora 12:11, radar lost at 5,150ft after 18 minutes near San Buenaventura, and the wreck now estimated at 200 to 300m.

Meanwhile the rescue operation updates indicate that five people have been rescued alive.

However, two other passengers of the chopper are still missing.

But search-and-rescue teams are continuing operations in the lake.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation.

Authorities are working to locate the two missing occupants as emergency responders continue their efforts in challenging weather conditions.

The crash location is within Lake Atitlán, near Panajachel, in Sololá, Guatemala

The date is October 8, 2026 and the aircraft involved is a helicopter with registration: TG-GUH

The summary is that a Helicopter in Guatemala went into the lake, five people were pulled out of the water but two others are feared to have gone down with the aircraft but teams are still searching.

The windy atmosphere and falling rains are making the rescue operation rather tricky.