Author Topic: Police helicopter injured airlifted from Mournes  (Read 217 times)

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Offline Ascot 1960

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Police helicopter injured airlifted from Mournes
« on: October 28, 2010, 10:36:36 pm »
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11644029

Four people injured when a police helicopter crashed in the Mourne mountains have been airlifted to hospital.

The accident happened close to the scene of last weekend's fatal crash.

The helicopter, part of a clearance operation connected to Saturday's crash, overturned at about 1100 BST.

The pilot, a photographer, an observer and an officer from the police emergency team are not believed to be seriously injured.

Bad weather had prevented the men being taken off the mountain for treatment, but they were cared for in tents pitched on the mountainside near Hilltown, County Down, while awaiting transport.

John McPolin from the NI Ambulance service said that none of those on board suffered life-threatening injuries.

He confirmed there were two of those on board were "walking wounded" and two were being removed on stretchers.

Poor conditions
 The PSNI helicopter crashed near Hilltown in County Down Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said: "We were in the final phases of the recovery operation from last week. This was, hopefully, the last flight to have taken off from the hill.

"My understanding is that the helicopter has turned turtle. It is broadly intact, that's why the officers are in relatively good health for being in an air crash.

"They will all eventually go to hospital from check-ups, some will need treatment for a variety of injuries, all, we believe at the moment, minor.

"Until we get them to hospital to get the doctors to have a look at them, we won't be able to know the exact situation."

Local DUP MLA Jim Wells was in the area when the crash happened.

"The conditions in the Mournes are extremely bad," he said.

"It's misty, the cloud is down to 600ft and the rain is very heavy so I can understand how something like this could happen."

The Air Accident Investigation Branch has been informed. The helicopter was on lease to the PSNI.

On Saturday, three people were killed in a helicopter crash in the Mourne Mountains in an area known locally as Leitrim Lodge, between Hilltown and Rostrevor.

Charles Stisted, Ian Wooldridge and their pilot, who has not yet been named, died when the aircraft crashed.

The men were travelling back to England from County Tyrone, where they were part of a private shooting party at Baronscourt country estate.

Mr Stisted, 47, was chief executive of the Guards Polo Club at Windsor and a personal friend of the Prince of Wales.

Mr Wooldridge, from Windlesham, Surrey, was also a member of the Guards Polo Club.

Together with his brother Graham, he ran a £40m-a-year demolition and construction company.

Mr Wooldridge was a prominent figure in Dublin-based Harcourt Developments, the property company involved in the development of the Titanic Quarter in Belfast.



Offline thurian

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Re: Police helicopter injured airlifted from Mournes
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2010, 08:24:13 am »
Luckily, no fatalities. This is the machine believed to be involved.
http://www.irishairpics.com/photo/1030867/M/Aerospatiale-AS355F2-Ecureuil-II/G-SEWP/Veritair/