Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 25, 2007

CORAL HARBOUR - There was no Hollywood script.

There were no screaming people falling about the aircraft as flight attendants tried frantically to save lives against impossible odds.

Chris Jones of Coral Harbour, who received the Most Valuable Player award at the 2007 Kivalliq Cup hockey tournament in Rankin Inlet, is fortunate to have the chance to play again after surviving a helicopter crash on the land near Coral earlier this month. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

There were just two men, still in the prime of their lives, sitting quietly in the helicopter as a third fought the machine for their lives.

Chris Jones, 34, of Coral Harbour was one of the three men inside the Bell 206 long-range helicopter, along with cook Neil Edwards and pilot Terry Halton.

The July 12 flight seemed routine, as the men picked up supplies in Coral and headed to a research camp where a group of young scientists awaited their arrival.

But 25 kilometres outside of Coral, disaster was also awaiting their arrival.

Jones, who was hired as a polar bear monitor, credits luck and the skills of the pilot for being alive today.

He said as hard as it is to believe, there was no fear or panic felt by the men as the helicopter fell from the sky.

"It wasn't until after the crash - and everything that happened afterwards - that I realized how scary it all was," said Jones.

"But during the crash, when it was all happening, I wasn't thinking about anything.

"I wasn't feeling scared or thinking this was the end or anything like that.

"I just couldn't believe we were falling."

Jones said all three men knew they were in trouble when the engine blew.

He said they knew instantly that the chopper was going down.

"We were flying over nothing but rocks when the engine blew, but the pilot used whatever power we had left to get the helicopter back over the swamp line.

"Things might not have turned out so well if we had a different pilot.

"Our pilot was very good and that's why I'm talking to you today."

Jones said once the helicopter began to drop, there was nothing for him to do but watch the ground come rushing up to meet them.

He said when it comes right down to it, there really isn't anything to say in that situation.

"The only words spoken were just before we hit the ground when the pilot finally said, very calmly, 'This is it, boys!"'

"Those were the only words spoken out loud during the whole time."

Jones said there are no words to describe the actual impact when the helicopter crashed to the ground.

"I've rolled in trucks, been hit by a komatik, all that kind of crap, but this was by far the most violent experience of my life.

"You fall from the sky and hit the ground all of a sudden just like that.

"Going down isn't all that bad, but it's absolutely horrible when you hit."

All three men hurt their backs during the impact.

Jones couldn't move when the chopper first came to rest.

"Not being able to move was the scariest part, but then, all of a sudden, my hand started working and then my legs started to come around.

"I managed to pick myself up, but I couldn't open the door.

"The window was already busted, so I pushed it the rest of the way out and crawled through.

"That's when it hit me, 'Oh s--t, we just crashed."'

Jones said once he gained his senses, all he could think about were the 12 guys waiting at the camp.

Their chopper was the only ride and if they didn't show up, the 12 were going to have to spend a night on the land with nothing.

"I decided to leave the crash site and walk back to the airport for help.

"They were all young guys up there with no food or sleeping equipment.

"I was scared for them. That's honestly how I felt at the time."

Jones left his two companions and walked for about six or seven hours, covering more than 10 miles, before he was picked up by people on an ATV.

The pilot and cook had to walk about three-quarters of a mile to get to where a Twin Otter could land and pick them up.

After being treated overnight in a Manitoba hospital, Jones returned to Coral.

When he looks back at the crash now, all he thinks about is how lucky they were during the landing.

"We missed all those rocks and boulders.

"It's really amazing."