A helicopter has crashed in Bettystown, County Meath.
It is thought the pilot was the only person on board at the time of the crash at about 1700 BST.
An eyewitness who saw him walk away unscathed said he was "an incredibly lucky man". He had just left passengers off on the beach of the seaside town.
The helicopter made it to about 70ft in the air before crashing beside the Neptune Hotel, currently being used as a temporary secondary school.
It caught fire upon impact, but firefighters have since extinguished the blaze.
One person was taken to hospital in nearby Drogheda.