Rescue crews are searching for a helicopter believed to have gone missing in Glacier National Park, east of Revelstoke, B.C., on Jan. 5. Pedram Mohyeddin, a spokesperson for Maritime Forces Pacific, stated that the province’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre was alerted to the sound of an emergency locator transmitter about 10 nautical miles, or 18 kilometres, east of Revelstoke.
Crews are now operating under the assumption that the ping came from the missing helicopter that was on its way from Calgary to Sicamous on Jan. 5. Search and Rescue, the RCMP, and the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association have joined the ground search, although it is unclear if the helicopter crashed or how many people may have been on board.
In addition to the ground search, a search-and-rescue helicopter and a military aircraft have been deployed to find the missing helicopter. However, low visibility due to weather is hindering their efforts. They are presently grounded, but are waiting for better weather conditions to rejoin the search by air in the hopes of getting visual confirmation of the scene.
Pedram Mohyeddin noted the urgency of the situation, saying that using a wide search and mobilizing various assets early in a search and rescue is crucial for offering aid in case of a possible helicopter crash.