The Department of Defense said it began operations on Tuesday to recover the armed forces’ CH-147F Chinook helicopter that went down in an accident in the Ottawa River that killed two people on June 20.
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Ottawa is asking residents who “will notice more activity on the water and on the banks of the Ottawa River” to “stay away from the helicopter recovery site” amid the ongoing investigation.
“The helicopter will be brought to the surface by barges, then lifted by crane and brought back to shore where it will be inspected by Air Safety Department personnel as part of the investigation.” When the Air Safety Directorate is finished, a truck will pick up the helicopter ‘ we explain.
The work will be carried out by a “team of military personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces with the support of contractors”.
To prevent the petroleum products leaking from the helicopter from spreading further into the water, a “floating barrier” was installed.
“Currently there is no evidence of contamination along the riverbanks or on the beach,” the ministry said.
The CH-147F Chinook crash killed two people, including a Quebecer, Capt. Marc Larouche, a 53-year-old from Abiti, and Capt. David Domagala, a 32-year-old from Ontario.
Two other soldiers survived the accident, the causes of which are still unclear.