Search enters Day 4 as NSIB recovers fourth helicopter crash victim

Three days after the ill-fated Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, registered 5N BQG, and operated by East Wind Aviation crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) on Sunday said the fourth body has been recovered. With the latest discovery, search is still ongoing for four more victims.

According to NSIB, at precisely 4:00p.m., the Cameroonian Navy transported a floating body that had been recovered from the water by the Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) to NUIMS Antan for safe passage through their territorial waters.

Though it took some time, NSIB said photographic proof verified the fourth victim’s identification.

According to the statement, “Eastwind Aviation was contacted by 6:50p.m. to set up an air ambulance for the body’s transportation Monday morning, and Eastwind is actively coordinating this effort. Antan Security notified the Port Harcourt Marine Police at 7:05p.m. to get ready to accept the body from the air ambulance.”

Earlier, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had said that beyond the three bodies found in the ill-fated helicopter that crashed on Thursday in Port Harcourt, no other bodies have been recovered.

In a statement on Sunday by Olufemi Soneye, the company’s Group Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPCL noted that intensified search and rescue operations for the remaining bodies along with relevant authorities was still ongoing.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, also confirmed the recovery of another body from last Thursday’s helicopter crash in the Atlantic Ocean. This announcement came barely seven hours after the NSIB debunked earlier reports claiming that two bodies had been found.

In a statement on his X account, Keyamo revealed that the NSIB notified him on Sunday of the recovery of one more lifeless body, identified as a victim of the Eastwind Aviation helicopter crash.

“An additional body was confirmed by matching the T-shirt worn to the description provided. Although it took time, photographic evidence confirmed the identity as the fourth victim,” Keyamo said.

According to the NSIB, the field operations team identified the body by a distinct T-shirt, verified with photographic evidence as belonging to the fourth victim.

The NSIB yesterday disclosed plans to deploy a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) as part of the recovery operation and investigation of the crash of a helicopter into the Atlantic Ocean.

The NSIB in a statement by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, said the ROV to be deployed is equipped to operate at depths of up to 1,000 meters and also has advanced sensors and cameras to enhance visibility and precision in deep-water environment.

It added that the ROV will facilitate detailed inspection, enable targeted retrieval operations, and assist in gathering vital evidence that will support investigation into the incident.

The Bureau however noted that despite extensive search efforts, no wreckage or critical components such as the black box, Flight Data Recorder (FDR), or Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) have been located.

It attributed the inability to recover anything to the challenging conditions of the operating environment, limited visibility at depth and human divers’ operational constraints.