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2009/02/21

Surviving a Helicopter Crash in the North Sea in Feb


Click here for full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Gary Watt

What: EC225 Super Puma chopper en route to a drilling rig, the Global Santa Fe
Where: in the North Sea, 500 yards from the BP ETAP platform.
When: Wednesday February 18, 2009 6.40 pm
Who: 16 passengers and 2 pilots
Why: 125 miles east of Aberdeen, the helicopter was forced to ditch in conditions of poor visibility. Flotation bags kept the helicopter afloat. Passengers waited on two rubber rafts. Individuals on the platform called the coast guard. Rescue vehicles included a Nimrod from RAF Kinloss, a Coastguard copter and a Sea King from RAF Lossiemouth. Emergency homing beacons fitted to the rafts and the men's survival suits assisted the rescue as conditions made them nearly invisible.

Three were winched to a helicopter; 15 were rescued by lifeboat, taken to the platform and flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. A triumph of rescue. No fatalities.

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