EC-145 accident near Marseille

[sitigeltfel]

An aircraft, believed to be an EC-145 of the French Sécurité Civile, crashed near Le Rove, south of Marseille airport yesterday evening. Three crew are reported to have died in the accident.

https://www.laprovence.com/actu/en-direct/5786070/info-la-provence-trois-morts-dans-le-crash-dun-helicoptere-de-la-securite-civile-au-rove.html

https://www.france24.com/en/20191202-three-french-flood-rescuers-killed-in-helicopter-crash

It had been involved in search and rescue operations during the severe weather affecting the area.

[golfbananajam]

From the BBC website (but I can't post the link).


Three rescue workers on a mission to help people caught in floods in southern France were killed when their helicopter crashed near Marseille.

The EC145 aircraft had been on a rescue and reconnaissance flight in the Var region on Sunday night when contact with it was lost, officials said.

The crashed helicopter and the three crew were found near the town of Rove. An investigation is under way.

[Outofthefray]

Nice Matin today – my best effort translation...
Sorry I can't post links yet

The following information was confirmed by the Minister of the Interior on the night of Sunday to Monday.
"On the evening of December 1, while their Civil Defence service and rescue helicopter EC145 was heading for Le Luc - Le Cannet to conduct a reconnaissance and rescue mission, the radio and radar links were broken," said the Ministry of Transport statement. In spite of every effort made, the three occupants of the helicopter were found dead at 1:30 am near the town of Rove (Bouches-du-Rhône).
"Christophe Castaner, Minister of the Interior and Laurent Nuñez, Secretary of State to the Minister of the Interior, address their sincere condolences and sympathies to the families, relatives and comrades of the pilot Jean Garat, operator Michel Escalin, and of Norbert Savornin, first aid support to the helicopter service of fire and rescue service of the Bouches-du-Rhone, on board their Dragon 30 helicopter. "

Original French – Nice Matin
L'information a été confirmée par le ministre de l'Intérieur dans la nuit de dimanche à ce lundi.
"Dans la soirée du 1er décembre, alors que leur hélicoptère EC145 de la sécurité civile se dirigeait vers Le Luc – Le Cannet afin d’assurer une mission de reconnaissance et de sauvetage, les liaisons radios et radar ont été rompues, indique le ministère de l'Intérieur dans un communiqué. Malgré l’engagement d’importants moyens de recherche, les trois occupants de l’hélicoptère ont été retrouvés décédés à 1h30 du matin à proximité de la commune du Rove (Bouches-du-Rhône)."
"Christophe Castaner, ministre de l’Intérieur et Laurent Nuñez, secrétaire d’Etat auprès du ministre de l’Intérieur, adressent avec émotion leurs condoléances et leurs pensées les plus fortes aux familles, aux proches et aux camarades de Jean Garat, pilote de la sécurité civile, de Michel Escalin, mécanicien opérateur de bord et de Norbert Savornin, secouriste héliporté du service d’incendie et de secours des Bouches-du-Rhône, disparus dans la nuit du 1er au 2 décembre alors qu’ils intervenaient à bord de leur hélicoptère Dragon 30 au secours des populations face aux intempéries."

[nomorehelosforme]

I’m surprised about the lack of information coming forward regarding this accident? Since this is a rumour and speculation forum could the Helicopter in this report attached possibly be the one involved?

Rumours and speculation aside, another tragic accident, condolences to all connected to it.

https://www.thelocal.fr/20191202/three-emergency-workers-killed-in-crash-while-on-flood-rescue-mission-in-southern-france

[DHC4]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/02/dead-french-floods-as-rescue-helicopter-crashes-marsellie-var-riviera

Three emergency workers were killed in a helicopter crash near Marseille while on a rescue mission in southern France (https://www.theguardian.com/world/france) where floods have left two dead, officials have said.

Their EC145 helicopter lost radio and radar contact while on a rescue and reconnaissance flight in the Var region on Sunday night.

The three were found dead at 1:30am near the town of Rove, interior minister Christophe Castaner and his secretary of state Laurent Nunez said in a statement.

An investigation was under way to determine the circumstances of the crash.https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/724bf1f850ef523908f237846c96b4d6a73aaae2/0_44_3072_1843/master/3072.jpg?width=460&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&Storms in France, Greece and Italy leave 'biblical destruction'

Read more“While France is preparing today to pay tribute to 13 of its soldiers who died serving it (in Mali), our country is losing three everyday heroes who gave their lives to protect the French,” Castaner and Nunez said.

Two people were killed on Sunday by the floods in the French Riviera, which has been hit by fresh torrential rains a week after extreme weather left six dead.

In the Var region, a shepherd was swept away as he was trying to cross a ford in his 4x4 while tending to his flock. His body was found in his vehicle late Sunday night 300 metres (330 yards) downstream from where he was last seen, the prefecture said early Monday.

Elsewhere in the region, the owner of a stables was found dead two hours after he was also washed away while out watching over his animals, it said.

The Var and the neighbouring Alpes-Maritimes region were on red alert for floods which disrupted train services and cut the A8 motorway for four hours Sunday evening.

Many cultural and sporting events were also called off due to the bad weather, including Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 match at Monaco.

During the previous weekend, heavy rains caused the deaths of six people in the Var.

[sitigeltfel]

A crowdfunding account set up to accept donations for one of the accident victims family has been pillaged by hackers who managed to gain access to the Leetchi site. Close to all of the €31,000 donated has been stolen.

There are some sick b'stards about.

https://www.laprovence.com/actu/en-direct/5804681/info-la-provence-crash-de-lhelicoptere-aux-pennes-la-cagnotte-lancee-apres-le-deces-de-norbert-savornin-p