Sadly, a Bell 206 conducting long line bucket work on the fires in SE Australia has apparently crashed about three hours ago. The aircraft went into Corrin Dam approximately 20nm southwest of Canberra where it remained upside down just below the surface for several minutes. A crewman from the SouthCare Rescue B412 helicopter (also bucketing nearby) jumped from the 412 into the water and pulled the pilot from the wreckage. With the help of a local in his boat (who had seen the helicopter crash) the B412 crewman managed to get the the pilot to the shoreline where he was loaded into another machine and flown to a Canberra hospital for emergency treatment. The B206 subsequently sunk out of view in the dam.
No word yet on the pilot's condition. All fingers crossed.
Kind regards to the pilot and his family - our thoughts are with you.
