Helicopter crash kills American
Gold River fishing guide and four others survive with injuries
A longtime Gold River fishing guide is in hospital after surviving a helicopter crash that killed one passenger on the weekend.
Randy Killoran, 44, was one of the five passengers aboard a helicopter that went down and overturned in the Homathko River in a remote inlet on the mainland of B. C.
The RCMP’s underwater recovery team was at the site Monday to try to recover the body of a 48- year- old American man who was trapped in the wreckage, according to an RCMP news release. The pilot and the four others escaped with non- life- threatening injuries.
The crash was reported to Campbell River police at about 8: 30 p. m. on Saturday, and the Comox- based Rescue Coordination Centre dispatched a team to the site, which is about 100 kilometres northeast of Campbell River at the top of Bute Inlet.
The survivors — the pilot, a 68- year- old Gold River resident, and four passengers — were taken to hospital in Campbell River. Killoran was transferred to the Nanaimo hospital for surgery and the others were released. The three other passengers were Americans — a 37- year- old man, a 63- year- old woman and a 71- year- old man.
Killoran has operated his own guiding company, British Columbia’s Finest Fishing, since 1984. He specializes in river fly fishing, according to his website.
Police say it appears the helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff.
The B. C. Coroners Service and RCMP teams were also at the crash site Monday to continue their investigation.