Pilot dead after helicopter crash on northern Vancouver Island
A pilot is dead after a helicopter crash near a remote village on northern Vancouver Island.
Airborne rescuers were dispatched by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria at 9 a.m. Wednesday, after receiving an alert from an emergency locator transmitter near Sayward, B.C.
Rescuers aboard the Cormorant helicopter located the downed chopper along the Johnstone Strait at 10 a.m.
The search and rescue team then turned the scene over to the local RCMP, who confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the lone occupant had died in the crash.
The helicopter was moving wood in the area when the crash occurred, according to the Sayward RCMP.
CTV News has learned the downed helicopter belongs to Kestrel Helicopters, based in Parksville, B.C. The company declined to comment on the crash Wednesday.
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) said in a brief statement that a team of crash investigators were deploying to the Sayward area Wednesday "following a collision with terrain of a helicopter."
Investigators will "gather information and assess the occurrence," the TSB said.
The TSB is working alongside the Mounties and the B.C. Coroners Service to determine the cause of the crash.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Sayward RCMP at 250-282-5522.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.