Emerging Controversy Over Whereabouts Of Bristow Helicopter Crash Victims

There is an emerging speculation,

According to a material available

Controversy Thursday trailed the whereabouts of 11 survivors of Wednesday’s Bristow helicopter crash.

The victims, who were rescued alive around the ERHA oil field in the Gulf of Guinea, located about 85 nautical miles South East of Lagos Port and 40 nautical miles off Igbokoda, were said to have been ferried to the nearest hospital ashore by a speedboat, SURFER P2621.

But fresh information obtained by The Nation on Thursday revealed that another Bristow helicopter airlifted the nine passengers and two crew members on Wednesday evening.

The helicopter, it was learnt, was also recovered and loaded on a barge with the help of a crane.

While some speculated that they were secretly brought to Lagos in a private hospital used by the oil company, others believed the victims must have been flown abroad.

The Nation gathered that a certain Nicholas Oten might have been among the victims, while the name of the pilot was given as Captain Obinna.

Marked N5BQJ, the helicopter, according to authorities ditched into the sea at about 10:20am while on its way to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, from Port Harcourt.

All the passengers who floated on the water were rescued by a Merchant Vessel, MV DIJAMA, who launched two of its small boats and live rafts upon sighting them.

At the time of filing this report, neither the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), nor the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) could give account of the victims whereabouts.

Both agencies’ spokespersons told The Nation that the airline and the oil company involved took over.

NEMA’s spokesman for the southwest, Ibrahim Farinloye said since no life was lost, the agency did not demand manifest.

“It is a private matter really. The oil company and the airline have taken charge. We cannot be asking for manifest since there was no casualty. I do not know where they took them to.

“But the incident occurred around ERHA oil field and the helicopter has been recovered,” he said.

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