3 weeks ago
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Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau said it has recovered a decomposing body from the Atlantic Ocean in a search for the remaining four bodies of the persons aboard during the unfortunate helicopter crash last Thursday.
Although the NSIB said the body was yet to be identified as it requires specialised handling due to its decomposed state before it could be transported to the morgue.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance of the Bureau, Mrs Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, and made available to PUNCH Online on Wednesday.
PUNCH Online reports that the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, carrying oil workers, crashed on Thursday after leaving Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
On that day, officials said three bodies of the eight passengers and crew members were recovered while another body was also recovered a few days after. With the latest recovery, if the body is identified to be one of the occupants of the helicopter, the NSIB will have three more bodies to comb the ocean for.
The helicopter, which was operated by East Wind Aviation, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean last Thursday and till the time of this report its wreckage has yet to be found.
According to the NSIB statement, divers have remained active on the seabed, conducting a thorough sweep based on recent information about the crash site’s possible location.
“Calculations incorporating tidal flow direction, strength, and timing indicate the helicopter likely entered the water approximately 1,850 metres west of the initial body recovery area. The search was relocated accordingly, but no signal from the locator beacon was detected at this position. The team has since moved closer to the FPSO, where beacon signals were previously received.
“Search Area Expansion: NSIB has mobilised two vessels equipped with side-scan sonar to broaden the search range. Four additional side-scan sonar units are en route from Port Harcourt and will be deployed tomorrow morning to enhance search coverage.
“A total of five bodies have been recovered so far, though the fifth body recovered today requires specialised handling due to its decomposed state before being transported to the morgue,” the statement noted.
However, the Director General of NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh, commended the collaborative efforts underway, saying “The recovery operation presents unique challenges due to the environmental conditions, but our team and partners are dedicated to bringing this mission to completion with utmost professionalism and care.
“We are grateful for the coordinated support from everyone involved in this recovery effort, including the Nigerian Navy, in ensuring a respectful recovery process. Our primary objective remains to uncover information that will fully explain the circumstances of this accident, and our thoughts continue to be with the families affected.”
