ALTON, Ill. (First Alert 4) - First responders from multiple agencies responded Thursday to the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, after a helicopter crashed on a barge, resulting in two deaths.

A helicopter crashed on a barge in Alton on August 7, 2025. (First Alert 4)

First responders confirmed to First Alert 4 that a helicopter crashed onto a barge and caught fire around 11 a.m. Thursday.

The Alton Fire Department said that two people are confirmed dead in the crash.

Ameren tells First Alert 4 that an Ameren contractor and a subcontractor were repairing and replacing tower lighting when the crash happened.

Wallace Meyer was catching fish during an expedition when he saw a helicopter for the first time in that part of the river.

“It was doing something with the balls up ther

See Full Page