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Chopper recovered from McLure Strait Victims died of cold-water immersion
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 30, 2013
BANKS ISLAND
The helicopter that crashed into McLure Strait from Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen earlier this month has been recovered, according to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB).
The helicopter that crashed into McLure Strait from the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen earlier this month has been recovered. An investigation can now begin to determine why the crash occurred. - photo courtesy of the Transportation Safety Board |
TSB spokesperson John Cottreau said the helicopter was retrieved on Sept. 25 and was brought on board the Amundsen. The helicopter was about 137 metres below the surface when it was found.
The helicopter crashed on Sept. 9 north of Banks Island.
Marc Thibault, commanding officer of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen, Daniel Dube, the helicopter's pilot, and Klaus Hochheim, an Arctic scientist with the University of Manitoba, all died following the crash.
Cottreau said now that the helicopter has been retrieved, investigators will begin work to determine the cause of the crash.
"We're going to have an opportunity to more closely, examine the engine, the gear box, the instruments and look for any other clues that might give us an opportunity to find out what happened and why," he said.
Cottreau said initial assessments of the aircraft will help guide the investigation as it moves forward.
"We're going to do a preliminary examination," Cottreau said. "What we get from that will determine what our next steps are."
Cathy Menard, Northwest Territories chief coroner, said a preliminary examination has been conducted on the three victims of the crash. She said they all died of cold-water immersion from the frigid waters of McLure Strait.
She said it is not yet known how long they were in the water and a full autopsy will take between four and six months.
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