Oliver Holland "was enjoying a day at the beach when suddenly a helicopter malfunctioned and came crashing down on him. He is currently in the hospital receiving surgery," his sister Madeline said in a statement posted on a GoFundMe page Oct. 11, the day of the crash. "We are praying for a safe recovery and we can't really say anything else."
The helicopter was coasting above the beach when it suddenly lost control and began spiraling in midair, eventually losing altitude and slamming into a row of palms as stunned beachgoers looked on.
Multiple videos recorded by witnesses show the aircraft twirling clockwise, then plunging toward the edge of the beach, where it becomes wedged between palms and a staircase near Pacific coast Highway.
Oliver's sister described him as "the smartest, funniest boy I have ever known. I pray for my brother and a safe recovery. We want to spread awareness of this, and anything can help."
As of Wednesday, nearly $110,000 had been raised from more than 2,500 donations on GoFundMe.
The Huntington Beach Fire Department said five people were hospitalized, including two who were in the helicopter and were "safely pulled from the wreckage." Three other people on the street were injured, including Oliver.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation.
The fire department said the helicopter was associated with an annual "Cars 'N Copters" fundraising event, which was held as scheduled the day after the crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.