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Helicopter down in Canada...
Hoping for the best...
CTV British Columbia Rescue teams scour for crashed B.C. fire chopper Updated: Fri Aug. 14 2009 18:26:32 ctvbc.ca Search and rescue officials have confirmed a firefighting helicopter has just gone down in the Fraser River south of Lillooet, B.C. The status of the pilot is unknown, but there were no other passengers onboard. Officials say the chopper was loading up to bucket the Itlpam forest fire burning approximately 22 kilometres south of Lillooet. Three rescue helicopters are scanning the river from above trying to locate the pilot. The downed chopper is believed to be a medium-sized Bell 212. The Inlpam fire is estimated at 1,235 hectares large and is currently 20 per cent contained. Fire officials believe lightning ignited the blaze. |
LYTTON, B.C. - An Ontario helicopter pilot who was helping to fight one of British Columbia's many forest fires was still missing Saturday, a day after he disappeared during a dramatic rescue attempt on the rushing waters of the Fraser River.
Robert Christopher Woodhead, 53, of Stoney Creek, Ont., was operating a Bell 212 with a water bucket Friday afternoon when the aircraft when down in the Fraser River near Lytton. Woodhead, who police said was based in British Columbia, was last seen in the water just after the crash by another pilot who watched from the air as the helicopter went down, said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk. "A valiant attempt was made by lowering his line and bucket into the river near Mr. Woodhead," Moskaluk said in an interview Saturday. "However, he was not successful in getting the line to him and did eventually lose visual sight of the pilot in the water." |
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