The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has confirmed the recovery of fifth body from the lagoon, following the helicopter crash in Rivers State.
NSIB recovered the body six days after the crash involving eight persons including a pilot, his assistant and six NNPC staff.
NSIB spokesperson, Bimbo Oladeji, disclosed this yesterday through a statement made available to newsmen.
“NSIB has mobilised two vessels equipped with side-scan sonar to broaden the search range. Four additional side-scan sonar units are en route from Port Harcourt and will be deployed tomorrow morning to enhance search coverage.
“A total of five bodies have been recovered so far, though the fifth body recovered today requires specialised handling due to its decomposed state before being transported to the morgue.”
The Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, carrying oil workers, crashed on Thursday after leaving Port Harcourt, Rivers State. On that day, officials said three bodies of the eight passengers and crew members were recovered.
The helicopter is believed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean although its wreckage is yet to be recovered from the lagoon.
According to the statement, “09:35 AM: HD Steadfast vessel identified a body in the water. Recovery actions were initiated by deploying the Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) for retrieval of the body.
• 09:40 AM: Antan HSE and Security teams were contacted to coordinate an evacuation plan.
• 09:55 AM, Eastwind Aviation was contacted to explore possible air ambulance support from Caverton Aviation.
• 10:40 AM: HD Steadfast deployed a drone to conduct an extended aerial search of the area to locate additional floating objects or bodies.
• 10:45 AM: Sea conditions presented challenges to the FRC crew for recovery. Coordination with HD Steadfast allowed the team to use its crane to retrieve the body safely and transfer it to the FPSO deck, despite inclement weather.
• 10:49 AM: Following Eastwind’s notification that air ambulance providers were unavailable, NSIB engaged the Nigerian Navy for logistical support.
• 11:15 AM: The body was successfully retrieved by the FRC and prepared for transfer to the FPSO deck.
• 11:41 AM: An identification process commenced; while no clothing was found on the body, investigators examined specific characteristics for identity confirmation.
• 12:49 PM: The Nigerian Navy was contacted to assist with body evacuation to land.
• 1:08 PM: Eastwind Aviation provided crew photographs to support physical identification, which were forwarded to the field superintendent and Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) for verification.
• 2:44 PM: The mortician arrived at the Nigerian Air Force base and was escorted to the Navy base by the Antan Flight Coordinator to prepare for the transport of the remains.
• 8:00 PM: Divers encountered fragments of clean fibreglass and aluminium, likely from the aircraft. These findings will guide the search grid’s adjustments as NSIB aims to intensify recovery operations within the accident vicinity.
