Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Monday, July 30, 2007

CORAL HARBOUR - A blown engine sent a helicopter plummeting to the ground outside of Coral Harbour on July 12, and Chris Jones lived to tell the story.

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

The 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 the community, disaster was 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 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.

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

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

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

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."

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," he said. "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. They were both treated at a medical facility and released.

Following overnight treatment 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."