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Injured helicopter crew rescued from Papua river basin
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A joint search and rescue team helps Nuh Aswal Jamal (center), a crew member of a helicopter belonging to PT National Utility Helicopters, disembark from a rescue helicopter after the team rescued him and two other people from a river basin in Paniai regency on Saturday. (Kompas.com/handout)
T
hree people have been rescued from a Bell 212 helicopter owned by PT National Utility Helicopters (NUH) that made an emergency landing in a river basin in Paniai regency, Papua, on Thursday.
The rescued crew members arrived at Aturure Douw airport in Nabire regency on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. local time. They were carried by a helicopter owned by mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia that had flown from Timika city to the landing site in the bed of the Degeuwo River in Paniai.
The rescue team took the pilot, Capt. Endy Nawalaga, the copilot, Capt. Erik Kurniawan, and a crew member named M. Aswar Jamal to the Nabire General Hospital, Nabire Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sonny M Nugroho said.
Before being taken to Nabire, the three victims were given first aid in Siriwo district.
Read also: American pilot dies after humanitarian group aircraft crashes in Papua
Sonny said Erik had suffered injuries to the head and legs, as well as a collision wound to the chest.
“Meanwhile, Endy was injured on the head and legs, and Aswal’s left arm was broken,” Sonny said on Saturday, as quoted by kompas.com.
The NUH helicopter was heading to the Baya Biru area to deliver food. It was reported missing several hours after it took off from Nabire Airport at 10:47 a.m. local time on Thursday.
A search and rescue team managed to locate the helicopter on Friday and attempted to rescue the three men but was unable to because of bad weather and difficult terrain. The team then asked PT Freeport’s search and rescue team to assist using better equipment. (aly)
