The government official presented “heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the GNR (National Republican Guard).” So far, the bodies of four GNR officers have been located, while another member who was also on the helicopter remains missing.
Nuno Melo also commended “the commitment and efforts of the rescue teams in fulfilling their search and rescue obligations,” according to a statement from the Ministry of National Defense.
In the press release, the ministry indicated that the National Maritime Authority, through the Port Captain and local commander of the Maritime Police of Douro, is coordinating the search for the “GNR officer who was also on the helicopter and is still missing.”
The National Defense also mentioned that the operations, both in the river and on land, are mobilizing members of local and regional fire departments, Maritime Police, the Army’s Special Operations Troops Center located in Lamego, Civil Protection, and the GNR, with the latter two using drone support.
“The psychology offices of the Maritime Police and INEM (National Institute of Medical Emergency) have been activated and are providing support to the victims’ families,” the statement added.
The forest firefighting helicopter that crashed into the Douro River around 12:50 PM today, near the town of Samodães, Lamego, was carrying a pilot and a team of five officers from the Emergency Protection and Rescue Unit (UEPC) who were returning from a fire in the municipality of Baião.
The aircraft’s pilot was rescued alive with only minor injuries.
The causes of the accident are not yet known.
The Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft Accidents and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF), a Portuguese State agency, has a team on the ground investigating the accident.
The crashed helicopter, an AS350 – Écureuil model, is operated by HTA Helicopters, based in Loulé, Algarve.
