Latest update December 1st, 2024 3:06 AM
GDF helicopter missing near Venezuela border with seven onboard
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officers missing
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Bell 412EPI Helicopter 8R-AYA commissioned only a few months ago, on Wednesday reportedly disappeared in the dense jungle between Ekereku and Arau, near the Guyana/Venezuela Border in the Cuyuni district, Region Seven.
Seven persons: three crew members and four passengers were onboard the craft at the time. The three crew members included the pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, co-pilot, Lieutenant Andio Michael Crawford and Corporal Dwayne Johnson. The four passengers onboard were identified as Brigadier (Ret’d) Gary Beaton, Colonel Michael Shaoud, Lieutenant Colonel Shaun Welcome and Staff Sergeant Jason Khan.
GDF’s Chief of Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan said that persons onboard were heading to Arau, located at the country’s western border with Venezuela. Colonel Shaoud was in charge of the mission and their duty was to visit soldiers stationed there. The GDF said in a statement that the helicopter departed Camp Ayangana around 09:23hrs.
Chief of Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan
Khan told reporters at a press conference that the helicopter had stopped at Olive Creek in Region Seven to refuel but shortly after taking off contact was lost with the chopper and its crew onboard. GDF said that it was around 11:20 hrs. The Chief of Staff said it has no report of anyone seeing what had happened to the helicopter when it took off from Olive Creek.
Khan explained that GDF and relevant authorities were made aware of the situation after an Emergency Locater Transmitter (ELT) signal was sent off from the helicopter. “… The ELT signal can be given off on crash landing, a hard impact, or it can be triggered manually”, Khan said.
Based on the signal received, it is believed that the helicopter disappeared 30 miles east of Arau.
One individual, however, told Kaieteur News that he was at Ekereku top close by to an airstrip there when he heard a chopper passing through the area but he is unsure of what happened after then. The sound, he said vanished quickly and he does not know if it was because it had landed somewhere or crashed. Nevertheless, a joint private sector and GDF search and rescue mission was launched immediately after. GDF Special Forces were sent to the location onboard the force’s sky van and there was some assistance from Omni Helicopters- a Sikorsky helicopter- but their efforts proved futile to locate the missing chopper and the crew onboard.
Both the GDF and the National Security Advisor, Gerry Gouveia, said that the weather hampered the rescue mission greatly. Khan explained that it was pretty overcast and the area is mountainous and heavily-forested. As a result safety precautions had to be taken by members of the rescue. The rescue mission was eventually called off last evening but will continue today. Khan said based on reports received, the weather is expected to be more friendly today.
He noted that because of the mountainous terrain and dense forest, the rescue team will have to use other methods to search for the missing chopper since it will be difficult to do so on foot. The area “is not inhabited”, he said while adding that the closest point to where the ELT signal was sent off is Ekereku top where GDF has an airstrip.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Bell 412EPI Helicopter 8R-AYA
While the loved ones of those onboard the missing helicopter and Guyana at large fear the worse, Brigadier Khan says that he remains optimistic that the men might be safe and well. “As Chief of Staff I remain optimistic that officers of this aircraft are the best, Colonel Michael Charles is no stranger to the public and definitely not the force- with four decades of flying experience”, Khan told reporters.
Questions were raised by reporters as to whether it was wise and safe to send some of the top officers and some of the most experienced men on the trip. Khan in response said that every time the GDF plans a trip there is an assessment an analysis done to ensure that it is safe. He said that he trusted the person in charge of planning the flight, noting that they did follow the necessary protocols. He added too that that the GDF has not received any other information suggesting that foul play is involved in the disappearance of the helicopter given that tensions are currently high between Guyana and neighbouring Venezuela.
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