A helicopter contracted for MTV's The Challenge: Rivals III crashed over the water in western Argentina on Saturday (Dec. 13), according to the New York Daily News. Local authorities confirm both people on board the helicopter were killed, including the pilot and passenger.
Security Minister for Mendoza Province, Gianni Vernier, confirmed the helicopter pilot and technician died in the collision. The official search team were unable to recover the bodies after the crash due to the location of the wreckage (nearly 200 feet below the surface).
While en route to a filming location in Mendoza, the Bell 206 helicopter crashed about 620 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, according to a recent New York Daily News report. Vernier confirmed the aircraft was flying over the reservoir Potrerillos de Mendoza dam.
"The thoughts and prayers of all at MTV and Bunim/Murray are with those who lost their lives in this tragedy and their families during this difficult time," MTV said in a statement to People.
The statement also revealed no Challenge cast or crew members were involved in the crash. The names of the deceased are unavailable at this time and law inforcement is currently investigating the cause of the accident.
This is the second time this year a reality show was associated with a deadly helicopter crash in Argentina. In March, 10 people were killed after two helicopters smashed into each other while carrying the cast and crew of the survival series, Dropped.
Champion sailor Florence Arthaud, Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine, and Olympic swimmer Camille Muffat were among the people killed in the collision.
MTV's latest season of the extreme reality show, called The Challenge: Battle of the Bloodlines, began filming earlier this year and debuted on television in December. The network was in the middle of filming their forthcoming 28th season of the show, The Challenge: Rivals III, with their cast during the time of the incident.
