Heliski Crash in Canada Leaves 3 Europeans Dead & 4 Critical

23rd January 2024

The emergency services were alerted of the accident at 16.15 local time on Monday 22nd January.

The helicopter that crashed was an Agusta A119 Koala, which can carry up to eight people.

Seven people were on board at the time and were heli-skiing with two other aircrafts.

All three helicopters had passengers on board, according to police.

The helicopter lost communication before crashing and was “located in a snow field.”

Police described the site as a “very remote location which is only accessible by helicopter.”

The other two helicopters were able to shuttle the four surviving passengers to another site, where they met emergency responders.

Three air ambulances and five ground ambulances were sent to the scene.

The injured are being treated in Mills Memorial Hospital.

Terrace is a town of about 12,000 people and is located about 70 miles from the Alaska border.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved,” said the Northern Health Authority in a written statement.

“We also want to thank Mills Memorial staff and medical staff who responded quickly and compassionately to ensure the best possible care both for patients involved in the incident and for those whose needs were not related.”

Northern Escape Heli-Skiing released a statement on Monday evening, that expressed condolences to all those affected by the crash.

“The guests who ski with us and the staff who work with us each season are part of our family,” said the company’s president, John Forrest.

“It is impossible to put into words the profound grief that we feel and the sorrow that our guests and our staff share.

“We hope you will respect the privacy of those impacted at this extremely difficult time.”

An investigation is underway.

Updated:

It is understood the three dead are Italian nationals.

The three victims from Sud Tirol include Heiner Junior ‘ Heinzl’ Oberrauch.

He is the brother of Sportler Group CEO Jakob Oberrauch, who is among four people injured in the crash.

Jakob Oberrauch is in hospital and conscious.

We will update this article as further details are released.