The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) has confirmed the recovery of three bodies during the ongoing rescue operations for the helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Mr. Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., shared this information in a statement released to newsmen in Abuja. He noted that the helicopter, operated by East Winds Aviation, had taken off from the Port Harcourt NAF Base, bound for the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN, with eight individuals on board, consisting of six passengers and two crew members, whose names have not been disclosed.
Soneye explained that the helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76, was tasked with transporting personnel to the NUIMS ANTAN facility when it tragically lost contact. The flight went missing at 11:22 AM while traveling from the Port Harcourt Military Base to the NUIMANTAN oil rig and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima.
He mentioned that rescue teams from the Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) are actively involved in the search efforts. Neighboring aerodromes have also been notified to assist in the ongoing operations.
“Although no Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was detected, authorities are employing manual methods to locate the accident site. Low-flying aircraft and military units are being deployed in the search for survivors,” Soneye stated.
He assured that NNPC Ltd. would continue to do everything possible to support the search and rescue operations, promising to monitor the situation closely and provide regular updates as events unfold.
