Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has dispatched a helicopter to transport the fourth recovered body from last week’s helicopter crash near Bonny Finima to a designated facility.
In a statement posted on his X account on Monday, Keyamo confirmed the action following an earlier announcement that the body of a fourth victim had been identified.
On Sunday, Keyamo revealed that the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) had notified him about the discovery of the additional body.
He stated, “An additional body was confirmed by matching the T-shirt worn to the description provided. Although it took time, photographic evidence confirmed the identity as the fourth victim.”
The NSIB reported that arrangements were made with Eastwind Aviation for an air ambulance to transport the body on Monday, while Antan Security informed the Port Harcourt Marine Police to prepare for its arrival.
According to the statement, operations commenced at 7:00 AM, with divers entering the water for underwater search and recovery efforts.
By 4:20 PM, a helicopter was dispatched to retrieve the fourth body, which was subsequently transported to a designated facility. Search and rescue operations were suspended for the day at 5:30 PM due to diminishing light, with plans to resume the following morning.
The tragic incident involved a Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, registered as 5N-BQG and operated by Eastwind Aviation, which crashed with eight people onboard, including two crew members and six officials from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
NSIB Director General, Capt. Alex Badeh, assured the public of their commitment to both the recovery efforts and the investigation process.
“Our thoughts remain with the families of those affected by this tragic event. We are working tirelessly with our partners to bring the recovery operation to completion and to uncover the information needed to understand what transpired. We deeply appreciate the cooperation and resilience of our national and international partners as we navigate these challenging times together.”