Bad weather halts chopper salvage

Bad weather halts chopper salvage

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: Rescue workers found on Thursday
the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed off the coast on
Saturday.

Bad weather made any attempt to salvage the wreckage
impossible.

The head of Sepinggan Airport, Kuntadi Budianto, told Antara
the joint rescue team from the East Kalimantan coast guard and
Air Force, mobile brigade unit and Bontang subdistrict
administration would have to wait for tides and strong winds to
abate before starting their work.

Kuntadi said the bodies of six passengers listed as missing
could be trapped inside the Bell helicopter.

He said the rescue team would use a number of ships to raise
the chopper, which is 70 meters under the sea.

The helicopter, chartered by Unocal oil company, crashed after
its rotor malfunctioned. It was flying from Tanjungsantan
subdistrict, north of here, to Balikpapan.

Five passengers were rescued, but pilot Prabowo Yuwono died in
the accident. (amd)