Canada Helicopter Crash off Eastern Coast

 See recent news on this Canadian helicopter tragedy - Newfoundland Helicopter Crash - Update.

Update March 14th:

Flags of provincial government buildings now fly at half-mast as the province mourns the 17 dead.  The search was called off at 7:30 eastern time last night, 34 hours after the crash.  It is now officially a recovery mission, led by the Transportation Safety Board.  They will be trying to raise the sunken helicopter, now at a depth of 120 metres, sometime this week.

Robert Decker, 30, of St. John's, remains in hospital in critical condition.  The body of Allison Maher, 26, of Mount Pearl, was also pulled from the water.  Her funeral will be Monday in Fermeuse. 

The names of the 16 presumed dead have not yet been released.

More details of lifting the helicopter and timelines of recovery can be found at TheTelegram.com.

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Update March 13th:

Hope for the 16 people that remain missing is now fading quickly.  Search and rescue has been out on the sea since about 10:00 am yesterday, and the search will continue through to nightfall. After that time it will have to be turned into a "recovery mission."

Although everyone onboard was equipped with a survival suit, and had training on water survival, those survival suits only work if one survives the crash, and is not injured.  

Transport Canada says the pilot of the Sikorsky called in a Mayday at 9:40 am yesterday "due to a main gearbox oil pressure problem,"  and the helicopter "ditched" on 9:48.  A Provincial Airlines plane arrived 25 minutes later - finding two people and two rafts, later found to be empty.  At that time, the Provincial pilot saw the chopper floating upside down.  

Minutes later another Cougar helicopter arrived and pulled Robert Decker to safety.  "Decker is recovering at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's, suffering from salt in his lungs, a broken bone and hypothermia."     Maybe Mr. Decker is the only one that can answer some of the many questions... 

Today, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends involved. 

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Update 3:30:

TheTelegram.com is reporting that there has been 1 confirmed fatality, 1 in hospital in critical but stable condition ( Robert Decker of Sea Rose FPSO) - 16 still missing.  The two life rafts were empty when rescuers got to them.

All on board were wearing survival suits.  Experts say that people can survive in them in temperatures of about 0C for up to 24 hours.

Search and rescue aircraft and vessels are still on the scene.

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Cougar Helicopters has now released a statement. 

Their S92 ferry helicopter landed in ocean 65 kilometers off St. Johns with 18 aboard, including 2 crew.  The aircraft went down just after the pilot reported technical malfunctions and was on his way back to St. Johns.  

One person has been rescued and taken to a hospital in St. Johns, and the search effort is going on right now - 17 people are still missing.  Two life rafts were deployed, but they cannot make a determination on them yet, until receiving confirmation by rescue workers and notifying families of workers onboard.  They have reported that the helicopter has sunk.

The Cougar representative, Rick Burt, reports "It is a very difficult time for Cougar and the families involved.  Our thoughts n prayers are with them." 

They have suspended offshore operations until they access the situation.

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A helicopter with 18 people on board has crashed off the coast of Newfoundland shortly after 9 am this morning.  Rescue crews have been dispatched, and no official statement has yet been made.

CTV Newsnet is now carrying this breaking story, of workers being ferried to their offshore rig southeast of St. John's.   "Two people have been spotted in the water, as well as a life-raft, but there's no sign of the chopper."