Rescuers are still in the midst of searching for seven individuals following a helicopter crash that occurred just six minutes after take-off. A body has been recovered at the crash site in the lush tropical forests of Borneo after a challenging three-day search for the aircraft, which went down with a total of eight occupants. The recovered body was found approximately 100 meters away from the helicopter, with initial reports indicating the likelihood of additional victims still inside the wreckage.
Adverse weather conditions and limited daylight have added complexity to the search efforts, leading to expectations of a salvage operation being necessary to reach the individuals within the burned-out helicopter. Yudhi Bramantyo, operational director of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, mentioned, “The wreckage was discovered about 700 meters from the KNKT’s designated point, and the victim’s body has been properly secured for evacuation to the field post.”
The Airbus BK117 D-3, belonging to Eastindo Air, lost communication with air traffic control eight minutes after departing from the airport in Kotabaru district in South Kalimantan province, Indonesia, en route to Palangkaraya City on the island’s southern side. Among the eight occupants of the helicopter were three foreign nationals – Mark Werren from the United States, Santa Kumar from India, and Claudine Quito from Brazil – with the remaining individuals believed to be Indonesian.
More than 200 personnel from a collaborative team, comprising police, military, local agencies, residents, and volunteers, were deployed by both land and air to search a 10-square-mile area of forest in Mantewe, Tanahbumbu district. The search operation was supported by five helicopters, rotating to cover the region, although they faced challenges due to inclement weather conditions.
Following the discovery of the wreckage yesterday afternoon, ground search teams have been redirected to the site to aid in recovery endeavors. Indonesia has experienced a string of accidents in recent years, encompassing incidents such as plane crashes and ferry sinkings.
In a separate incident last July, two Australian and three Indonesian nationals miraculously survived a tourist helicopter crash in Bali after getting entangled in a kite string. The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter, owned by PT Whitesky Aviation, went down in Pecatu village along Bali’s southern coast, as reported by Indonesia’s transportation ministry.
Images shared by Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency depicted the helicopter, carrying five individuals including crew and passengers, crashed on a limestone cliff.
