Thu May 08 12:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Supermodel Christie Brinkley Credits ‘Magic Dirt’ and Miracle in Near-Fatal Helicopter Crash
**Telluride, CO –** Supermodel Christie Brinkley is reflecting on a harrowing experience 31 years ago that nearly cost her life. In her new memoir, *Uptown Girl*, Brinkley details a 1994 heli-skiing accident in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains that left her and five others miraculously alive after their helicopter plummeted 300 feet.
The helicopter, carrying Brinkley on a heli-skiing tour, experienced a sudden, unexpected crash, ripping the cabin in two upon impact. Brinkley describes a terrifying freefall and the chaotic aftermath as the wreckage tumbled down the mountainside. She attributes her survival, in part, to a small amount of “magic dirt” from the Santuario de Chimayo in New Mexico, a site known for its purported healing properties, which she sprinkled on the helicopter before takeoff.
“I said, ‘Oh magic dirt, do your stuff, take good care of all of us on this helicopter this day,’” Brinkley recounted in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I should have said, ‘Also, keep the helicopter in the air.’ But I do believe in miracles.”
Investigators later described the survival of all passengers as a miracle, given the severity of the crash. While Brinkley’s daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, was thankfully unharmed as she was not on the helicopter, the incident profoundly impacted Brinkley, leading to struggles with PTSD. The accident also contributed to the end of her marriage to Billy Joel.
Despite the trauma, Brinkley emphasizes the positive changes the near-death experience brought to her life. She credits the accident with a renewed appreciation for life and beauty, inspiring a healthier lifestyle that includes a vegan diet and a focus on self-care. She has since undergone hip replacement surgery to address injuries sustained in the crash.
Brinkley’s story serves as a testament to resilience and the unexpected twists of fate, highlighting her enduring gratitude for life and the miraculous events that allowed her to survive a devastating accident.
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