Eleven persons on Wednesday escaped death after a Bristow 5B BJQ
Helicopter enroute Lagos from an off- shore location in Port Harcourt
ditched inside the Lagos lagoon. The helicopter was carrying nine
passengers and two crew members on board 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 inside 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 all rescued alive,” he
said. The AIB in a statement also confirmed the crash.
“ A S76 C++ helicopter marked 5N-BQJ belonging to Bristow
Helicopters, which departed ERHA Platform enroute Lagos was ditched into
the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles into destination at about 10:20am
local time. “All the eleven souls 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 boat to
facilitate the rescue operation.
He said that Bristow Helicopter company also provided landing boat for the evacuation of the survivors.
NAN recalls that the incident is coming barely six months after
another of the company’s choppers went down into the Lagos Lagoon. Six
of the 12 persons on board the ill-fated helicopter, including the pilot
and the co-pilot, died. The helicopter, which was enroute Lagos from
Akure, crashed into the Oworonshoki area of the lagoon.
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