The body of one of the four people missing since Friday’s Airmedic helicopter crash on Quebec’s North Shore was recovered Monday evening.
The company, which specializes in emergency medical transport, confirmed that divers with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) recovered one of the aircraft’s crew members at around 7 p.m.
In a statement late Monday night, Airmedic said its thoughts are “with the family and loved ones of our colleague, to whom we offer our most sincere condolences.”
The identity of the victim will be released by the coroner once formal identification has been completed and the family’s consent is obtained, the company said.
The Airmedic helicopter carrying four crew members and one passenger crashed into Watshishou Lake around 10:30 p.m. Friday, near Natashquan, Que., about 1,000 kilometres northeast of Montreal, during a transport operation.
One of the crew members managed to escape in circumstances that are still unclear. That person was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Search efforts to locate the aircraft and the other three individuals still missing are expected to continue Tuesday.
“During these painful hours, the entire Airmedic family is in mourning,” company spokesperson Raphaële Bourgault wrote in a statement. “We are deeply shaken and stand in solidarity with one another through this difficult time.”
Airmedic said it suspended its flight operations in the wake of the crash in order to prioritize the well-being of its teams and offer them the support they need.
Psychosocial resources have been made available to employees, the company said.
An independent investigation into the crash, led by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, has been launched.
