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| Bristow Helicopter |
Eleven
persons yesterday escaped death after a Bristow 5B BJQ helicopter en-route
Lagos from an off-shore location in Port Harcourt ditched into the Atlantic
Ocean.
The News
Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the helicopter was carrying nine
passengers and two crew members when the incident happened.
The
Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident.
Mr Sam
Adurogboye, spokesperson of NCAA, in a text message, said there was no casualty
as the 11 persons on board were rescued after the chopper ditched into the
Atlantic Ocean.
“It
happened 70 nautical miles off Lagos. They were returning from their off-shore
location called ERA. Nine passengers and two crew on board were all rescued,”
he said.
The AIB,
in a statement also confirmed the crash.
According
to the statement; “A S76 C++ helicopter marked 5N-BQJ belonging to Bristow
Helicopters, which departed ERHA Platform en-route Lagos was ditched into the
Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles into destination at about 10:20 am local time.
“All the
eleven peoples on board, including two crew members were rescued alive.
“Accident
Investigation Bureau, AIB has commenced investigation into the occurrence.
Details will be communicated to you later,” it said.
Similarly,
the General Manager of LASEMA, Mr Michael Akindele, in a statement, said
emergency responders including three RRS search and rescue Helicopters, Nigeria
Navy, Air Force and others were deployed for the operation.
“The
helicopter ditched inside the ocean, however 11 souls on board are alive, no
casualty,” he said.
Akindele
said Agip, Mobil and Shell oil companies helped with the provision of speed
boats to facilitate the rescue operation.
He said
Bristow Helicopter also provided landing boat for the evacuation of the
survivors.
The Media
Consultant to Bristow Helicopters, Mr Cornelius Onuora, said the incident was
not a crash but a controlled ditching, which was an emergency landing of a
helicopter on water.
Onuora
said the pilot observed that there was a technical issue with the helicopter
and he decided to land it earlier than scheduled.
Also, the
Flag Officer Commanding, FOC Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear
Admiral Ralph Osondu said “MV DIJAMA launched two of its boats to rescue all 11
people in the helicopter.
Rear
Admiral Osondu said, “MV DIJAMA was the first to get to the scene. It happened
40 nautical miles from Igbokoda, Ondo State. The helicopter had nine passengers
and two crew members. All were rescued and handed over to a speedboat, SURFER
P2621, which took them ashore to the nearest hospital in Ondo State.”
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