Eleven persons on Wednesday escaped death after a Bristow 5B BJQ Helicopter en-route Lagos from an off- shore location in Port Harcourt ditched into the Atlantic Ocean.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the helicopter was carrying nine passengers and two crew members on board when the incident happened.

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident.

Mr Sam Adurogboye, spokesperson of NCAA, in a text message, said there was no casualty as the 11 persons on board were rescued after the chopper ditched inside the Atlantic Ocean.

“It happened 70 Nautical Miles off Lagos. They were returning from their off-shore location called ERA. Nine passengers and two crew on board all rescued alive,” he said.

The AIB in a statement also confirmed the incident.

“ A S76 C++ helicopter marked 5N-BQJ belonging to Bristow Helicopters, which departed ERHA Platform enroute Lagos was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles into destination at about 10:20am local time.

“All the eleven souls on board including two crew members were rescued alive.

“Accident Investigation Bureau AIB has commenced investigation into the occurrence. Details will be communicated to you later,’’ it said.

Similarly, the General Manager of LASEMA, Mr Michael Akindele, in a statement, said emergency responders including three RRS search and rescue Helicopters, Nigeria Navy, Air Force and others were deployed for the operation.

“The helicopter ditched inside the ocean, however 11 souls on board are alive, no casualty,’’ he said.

Akindele said Agip, Mobil and Shell oil companies helped with the provision of speed boat to facilitate the operation.

Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited, in a statement, said that one of its helicopters was involved in a water landing near Lagos at about 10.25 a.m. local time on return from an offshore platform.

“The aircraft, a Sikorsky S-76C++, had departed on a routine crew transfer flight offshore with nine passengers and a crew of two.

“All persons onboard are accounted for and in the process of being transferred to a nearby installation.

“The company is in the process of collecting pertinent information and will release more details as soon as it is available,” it said.

NAN recalls that the incident is coming barely six months after another of the company’s choppers went down into the Lagos Lagoon.

Six of the 12 persons on board the ill-fated helicopter, including the pilot and the co-pilot, died.

The helicopter, which was enroute Lagos from Akure, crashed into the Oworonshoki area of the lagoon.

(NAN)

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