Eleven persons escaped death on Wednesday after a Bristow 5B BJQ Helicopter enroute Lagos from an off- shore location in Port Harcourt crashed into the Lagos lagoon around 10.20am.
The American-made Sikorsky S-76C++ was carrying nine passengers and two crew members on board when the incident happened.
Bristow Helicopters confirmed that one of its choppers was involved in “water landing” while returning from an offshore platform.
The statement added that the nine passengers and two crew members on board were safe.
It said, “Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited, confirms that one of its helicopters was involved in a water landing near Lagos at about 10.25am local time on return from an offshore platform.
“The aircraft, a Sikorsky S-76C++, had departed on a routine crew transfer flight offshore with nine passengers and a crew of two.
“All persons onboard are accounted for and are in the process of being transferred to a nearby installation.
“The company is in the process of collecting pertinent information and will release more details as soon as it is available.”
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) also confirmed the incident.
Spokesperson of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, in a text message, said “It happened 70 Nautical Miles off Lagos. They were returning from their off-shore location called ERA. Nine passengers and two crew on board were all rescued alive.”
The statement, issued by the AIB spokesperson, Tunji Oketunbi, said, “A S76 C++ helicopter marked, 5N-BQJ, belonging to Bristow Helicopters, which departed ERHA Platform en route to Lagos was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles into destination at about 10.20am local time.
“All the 11 souls on board, including two crew members, were rescued alive. Accident Investigation Bureau has commenced investigation into the occurrence.”
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.
Commander of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Olatunji Disu, said that immediately the command was alerted of the crash, three helicopters were immediately deployed to commence a search for its possible location.
“We knew they just took off at the airport. Everybody thought the helicopter crashed in their air field. But we immediately deployed the three RRS helicopters into the air and started the search.
“After some time the crashed helicopter was located 68 nautical miles out of Lagos on the ocean and we were able to communicate with the company”.
He said Shell, Agip and Mobil oil companies provided speed boats, while the RRS Marine Boat was also deployed to join the search and rescue operations.
“LASEMA, Airport Police and others and the Fire Service were at the airport waiting, because they had thought that the crash occurred at the airport, but the RRS helicopters acting on information hovered around the air until the location of the crash was identified in the ocean,” Disu said.
He attributed the survival of the passengers and crew to adherence to safety measures and the timely intervention of rescue operations.
“The joint effort of the rescue team spearheaded by the RRS in collaboration with Shell, Agip and Mobil oil companies went a long way to save the lives of those on board. Only the pilot sustained injuries,” he said.
Another chopper belonging to the company crashed in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos on August 12, 2015 killing six of the 12 persons onboard.
Among the dead were the pilot and the co-pilot.
