In a race against the setting sun, Ryan Merrill, along with three other ski guides and their helicopter pilot, navigated through thick clouds in a desperate attempt to locate the wreckage of a heli-skiing chopper that had crashed with seven individuals on board. The incident had occurred in the remote Skeena Mountains, approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Terrace. Upon spotting the crash site, the team faced the challenge of finding suitable landing space, ultimately touching down about 300 meters above the wreckage due to space constraints.
Once on the ground, the ski guides were confronted with the task of transporting their first-aid gear, which included a trauma pack with oxygen, a defibrillator, and a vacuum-mattress spine board, down the rugged terrain. Despite the daunting circumstances, Merrill, the Director of Guiding Operations at Northern Escape, rallied the rescuers with a call to action, emphasizing their training and the urgency of the situation.
The crash involved a Skyline Helicopters Augusta Westland A119 Koala, chartered by Northern Escape, and had occurred during a heli-skiing expedition with a group of Italian skiers. Despite the valiant efforts of the rescuers, they were unable to evacuate three individuals who tragically lost their lives in the crash – Heiner Junior (Heinzl) Oberrauch, 29, Andreas Widman, 35, and pilot Mark McGowan.
The rescuers, equipped with medical supplies and survival gear, worked tirelessly to assess and prioritize the injured passengers. Merrill described the challenging circumstances and the need to efficiently package and move the survivors out of the mountains before nightfall, underscoring the time-sensitive nature of their mission.
The rescue operation involved coordinating with neighboring heli-ski companies, with White Wilderness sending additional rescue gear and transporting the first patient to a waiting ambulance. The rescuers faced adverse weather conditions, battled through clouds, and made multiple trips to shuttle the injured individuals to a staging area.
Despite their heroic efforts, one of the rescued passengers, Northern Escape guide Lewis Ainsworth, succumbed to his injuries, adding to the somberness of the situation. The cause of the accident remains under investigation, and as Northern Escape resumes its heli-skiing operations, the industry is reassured of its safety measures and well-trained personnel. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the rare and challenging nature of helicopter accidents in the industry.
