Four killed as Bristow helicopter plunges into lagoon
Twelve people including the crew were confirmed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to be on board. Four were rescued alive and rushed to the General Hospital in Gbagada while another two who were rescued last night were taken to a private hospital in Ikeja. The remaining passengers were still missing at the time of filing this report at 9pm.
The copter went down at about 3pm just behind the Oworonsoki police station close to the palace of the Oba of Oworonsoki.
Witnesses said a loud bang came from the copter before it descended and plunged into the lagoon. A resident of the area said: “Suddenly, we heard a loud noise and saw the helicopter inside the ocean.”
People hurried to the scene but were prevented from surging by the police. The incident caused a huge traffic gridlock on the ever-busy Third Mainland Bridge.
The NCAA later said in a statement by its spokesman, Fan Ndubuoke, that the copter which was coming from an oil rig was scheduled to arrive Lagos at 3:35 pm.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the police were involved in the rescue efforts.
LASEMA officials who spoke to our correspondents confirmed that four dead bodies were recovered from the scene while four others were rescued alive and taken to Gbagada. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni and the Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Oluranti Adebule, went to monitor the rescue operation.
Earlier, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Engr. Rasaq Fadipe, told journalists that his men were on ground, adding that officials of the marine police were also at the scene for rescue. Bristow Helicopters is a civil aviation company which mainly serves oil and gas companies.
On the fate of the remaining two passengers, he said: “We have just deployed officials of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service who are specialists in marine search and rescue and they are to continue the search and rescue operation.” Efforts by Daily Trust to contact the company yesterday were futile as the company’s calls were not picked, while the office premises at the General Aviation Terminal, Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA2), Ikeja were locked, with nobody in sight.
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said it had commenced investigation into the Bristow helicopter that crashed into the lagoon in Lagos.
This is contained in a statement issued by the bureau’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr Tunji Oketunbi, in Lagos.
The statement said the investigation had commenced with the AIB Commissioner, Dr Felix Abali, leading the team.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Bristow-owned helicopter crashed inside ExxonMobil Facility in Port Harcourt on Aug. 3, 2007.
Another crash involving Bristow Helicopters also occurred on July 14, 2011 in Port Harcourt.
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