Police have confirmed a 69-year-old Gambo man died at the scene of a helicopter crash Monday afternoon at Thorburn Lake, west of Clarenville.
Two other men, a 68-year-old man from Aquaforte and a 54-year-old man from St. John’s, are in hospital with serious injuries.
In a Tuesday morning news release, Clarenville RCMP said officers responded to a report of a downed helicopter at around 3:45 p.m. on Monday. The Clarenville Fire Department and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre also responded.
The RCMP news release said a Robinson R44 light utility helicopter carrying the three men crashed on the land near Thorburn Lake.
A Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) spokesperson said Tuesday morning that a team of two investigators from the TSB regional office in Dartmouth were scheduled to arrive in Newfoundland later in the day.
The spokesperson said the investigators will first do an initial survey of the crash site, gather information and assess the occurrence.
Clarenville RCMP said in its news release later Tuesday morning that the TSB was at the scene of the crash and the investigation is continuing.
Earlier story:
RCMP say one person is dead and two others are believed to be injured after a civilian helicopter crashed shortly before 4 p.m. Monday at Thorburn Lake.
An RCMP spokesperson said officers responded to the scene of the crash, along with the local fire department and with the assistance of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Halifax.
JRCC Halifax tweeted that a Canadian Armed Forces search and rescue CH-149 Cormorant helicopter from Gander was deployed to Thorburn Lake. Its crews reported there were three people on board the helicopter when it crashed.
“Two individuals have been rescued and transported to emergency services. Regrettably, one individual was found deceased. Next of kin have been notified,” reads a tweet from JRCC Halifax.
The Telegram will continue to follow this story.
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