Four Bodies Recovered After Fatal Alaska Helicopter Crash
Three state employees were conducting fieldwork on the aircraft, which was found in a lake near the northernmost city in the U.S. An aerial view of the lake near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, where debris matching the helicopter could be seen. Photo: North Slope Borough Search and Rescue/Associated Press By Shannon Najmabadi Updated July 23, 2023 4:20 pm ET The bodies of four people who died in a helicopter crash were recovered from a northern Alaska lake Sunday, three days after they went missing while conducting survey work. Remains of the victims, three of whom were state employees, were flown about 50 miles to Utqiaġvik, the northernmost city in the U.S. They are being transported to the state medical examiner’s office so autopsies can be performed, Alaska State Troopers said Sunday. The
An aerial view of the lake near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, where debris matching the helicopter could be seen.
Photo: North Slope Borough Search and Rescue/Associated Press
The bodies of four people who died in a helicopter crash were recovered from a northern Alaska lake Sunday, three days after they went missing while conducting survey work.
Remains of the victims, three of whom were state employees, were flown about 50 miles to Utqiaġvik, the northernmost city in the U.S. They are being transported to the state medical examiner’s office so autopsies can be performed, Alaska State Troopers said Sunday.
The cause of the crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, which may take 12 to 24 months to issue a determination, spokesman Keith Holloway said.
The three state employees—51-year-old Ronald Daanen, 27-year-old Justin Germann and 26-year-old Tori Moore—worked for Alaska’s Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. The fourth victim, 48-year-old Bernard “Tony” Higdon, piloted the helicopter, which was owned and operated by Maritime Helicopters.
“The Department is beginning the process of grieving for our colleagues, supporting our team through this challenging time, and working with partner agencies to learn everything we can about this incident,” Alaska Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Lorraine Henry said.
Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources initiated a search-and-rescue effort Thursday night, after the helicopter didn’t check-in as expected.
Volunteers from the Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team arrived at the site of the crash Saturday night.
Henry said several agencies, local law enforcement and the Red Cross helped recover the bodies.
Efforts to remove the wreckage of the aircraft from the lake were still under way Sunday.
—Ginger Adams Otis contributed to this article.
Write to Shannon Najmabadi at [email protected]
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