Two people working on powerlines near the Mississippi River died Thursday when their helicopter hit the lines, crashed into a barge and sparked a fire that belched plumes of black smoke, officials said.

The helicopter crew was near East Alton, Illinois, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of St. Louis, when it careened into the barge on the Missouri side of the river. Authorities said no other injuries were reported.

Adam Briggs was fishing on the shore that morning, watching the helicopter zig-zag across the river and eventually pick up a worker with a marker ball to add to a line.

After a brief glance at his phone, Briggs looked back up to see pieces of the helicopter plunging toward the barge, then he heard a bang and saw smoke.

“I was in shock and awe of what I was actually seeing

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