Ellesmere Island (July 31/06) - Four government scientists and a helicopter pilot walked away from a close call nine kilometres outside of Eureka on July 22.

A Canadian Forces Griffon helicopter rescued the group and brought them back to the Eureka weather station. The military dispatched a medic in case any of the passengers went into shock, but no one was injured in the incident, said Bonni Hrycyk, executive director of the Polar Continental Shelf Project for which the scientists were working.

"Nobody had a scratch on them," she said.

It isn't clear how high the helicopter was when it lost power or its condition.

The 206 Long Ranger helicopter lost power shortly after takeoff and made a hard emergency landing.

"It was amazing the pilot was able to keep the helicopter upright because in that situation they tend to roll," said Capt. Rae Joseph, the public affairs officer for CFB Borden, where the Griffon helicopter is based.

Hrycyk said on Thursday the workers were already back in the field.

The CH-148 helicopter crew was in Eureka as part of Operation Hurricane, performing maintenance on communication systems in the High Arctic.