A devastating helicopter crash in northern Portugal has claimed the lives of four police officers, with one still missing, sending shockwaves through the nation’s law enforcement community. The incident occurred on August 30 when a helicopter carrying members of the Protection and Relief Intervention Group plunged into the Douro River near the city of Lamego in Cambres.
The aircraft, an AS350-Ècureuil model operated by HTA Helicopteros, went down shortly after 12:30 pm local time. Initial reports indicated that at least six individuals were on board at the time of the crash.
In a fortunate turn of events, the pilot of the helicopter was rescued by a nearby tourist boat. However, the fate of the police officers aboard has been grimmer. Mafalda Gomes de Almeida, chief of the National Republican Guard (GNR), confirmed that only the pilot has been found alive so far. “There is still no information that the five GNR officers, who belong to the Armamar company, were rescued alive,” she stated in a press briefing.
The missing officers are part of an emergency protection and assistance unit of the GNR police force known as the UEPS (Emergency Protection and Relief Unit). As search efforts intensified, the bodies of four officers were recovered from inside the submerged helicopter, leaving one still unaccounted for.
The head of the Douro Port authority provided updates to Portuguese media, initially stating, “We have two bodies inside the aircraft and three missing people. These three missing people may be on the shore in need of help. We are searching the entire area, on all shores.” As the search progressed, an official source informed local outlet RTP that an additional two bodies had been found.
Authorities have announced that drones will be deployed to assist with the ongoing search efforts, covering a wide area along the river’s shores. The challenging terrain and the river’s conditions have complicated rescue operations, prompting a multi-agency response.
The pilot, who was rescued, was transported to Vila Real hospital. Reports from RTP indicate that the pilot is being treated for hypothermia and fractures sustained during the crash.
Source: express.co.uk
