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Pilot presumed dead after helicopter crashes in Jervis Inlet

Search for pilot was unsuccessful
N.Helicopter Crash
A helicopter crashed near Killam Bay, north of Egmont, on Oct. 4.

A search for the pilot of a helicopter that crashed near Killam Bay north of Egmont on Oct. 4 has been unsuccessful, the Sunshine Coast RCMP said in a press release. 

The name of the pilot, who was the only person in the helicopter, has not been released. The RCMP said he was not a Sunshine Coast resident.

The Kaman K-MAX helicopter was being used for heli logging operations when it crashed in Jervis Inlet at approximately 1:30 p.m., Chris Krepski, a spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), told Coast Reporter. 

The cause of the crash is not yet known, and TSB is gathering information about the incident.

A distress call was made from the aircraft, triggering action from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and Coast Guard from Powell River. 

Witnesses in the area were the first on scene, but were only able to locate some debris from the helicopter. 

“RCMP is working with several partners on this investigation to determine what caused this crash including Coast Guard, Transport Canada, WorkSafe BC and the BC Coroner’s Service,” BC RCMP media spokesperson Sgt. Chris Manseau said in the release.

“Transport Canada is working on a recovery for the helicopter, but that may take some time, as the water in the area is believed to be more than 500 feet deep.”