Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services
Resolute Bay (Jun 25/01) - Rescuers could not have reached the victims of a fatal helicopter crash near Resolute Bay last year any sooner than they did, an investigation has concluded.
Peter Hildebrand of the Canadian Transportation Safety Board, said the response was not tardy in reaching the site 80 kilometres from the community, considering the weather.
The privately conducted search with RCMP backup took 17 hours.
"The conditions were whiteout. There were no visual references. The weather wasn't bad (no gusting winds or snow), but the pilot could not maintain a ground reference. Everywhere he looked would have been white," Hildebrand said.
Two scientists with the Polar Continental Shelf Project died when their Bell 206L helicopter crashed on sea ice May 21. The 45-year-old pilot, Benoit Boulet, suffered multiple broken bones. He survived by wrapping himself in clothing and blankets. The chopper crashed while en route to Resolute Bay.
"The (rescue) pilots had to fly in the same whiteout conditions. Had they not waited, they'd have been in the same situation," Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand's report went to the Safety Board in May.
A year after the crash, colleagues in Resolute Bay say the two deceased scientists, Malcolm Ramsay and Stuart Innes, are sorely missed.
"They were extremely excited about their work, the Arctic and the people," said Gerry McEachern, project base manager. "And anxious to share their work with others."
Innes was well known for counting seals with the help of trained dogs.
