Update: Parts of helicopter wreckage seen on recovery vessel's deck
The Telegram
Pieces of the wreckage of a Cougar helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland last Thursday can be seen on the deck of the recovery vessel, Atlantic Osprey, in St. John's harbour this afternoon. — Photo by Joe Gibbons/The Telegram
The Atlantic Osprey has returned to St. John’s harbour from the Cougar helicopter crash site in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland and it appears parts of the wreckage are onboard.
Parts of the downed helicopter can been seen through tarps on the vessel’s deck as the ship docked at the Canadian Coast Guard wharf in the harbour.
The Canadian Coast Guard is referring comments to the Transportation Safety Board, which is not offering comment at this time.
There is crane activity on the dock at the present time and it appears the cage containing what is believed to be parts of the helicopter wreckage is about to be lifted from the deck of the vessel to dockside.
A number of media and onlookers have gathered near the coast guard base and City of St. John’s traffic enforcement officers are issuing tickets to people parked in no parking areas.
The Osprey was last in the harbour early Tuesday morning bringing home the final seven bodies missing since last Thursday’s crash of Cougar Flight 491. The Osprey returned to the crash site later Tuesday to commence efforts to lift the fuselage and pieces of wreckage from the ocean bottom — 178 metres below the ocean surface — as part of the Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the cause of the crash.
Eighteen people were aboard the Sikorsky S-92A which ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 55 kilometres east of St. John’s. The helicopter was transporting workers to platforms on offshore oil fields.
The only survivor, Robert Decker, is in the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s in critical, but stable condition.
Further updates soon.
18/03/09
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