After the vessel left the site where the accident occurred on Friday, divers returned to the water, continuing the search for the GNR (National Republican Guard) officer who is still missing.
The forest firefighting helicopter crashed into the Douro River on Friday, near the town of Samodães, Lamego. It was carrying a pilot and a team of five soldiers from the Emergency Protection and Rescue Unit (UEPC) who were returning from a fire in the municipality of Baião.
So far, the bodies of four GNR soldiers have been located, while one other member remains missing. The soldiers are between 29 and 45 years old, three are from Lamego, one from Moimenta da Beira, and another from Castro Daire, in the district of Viseu.
The aircraft pilot was rescued alive with only minor injuries.
The vessel carrying the aircraft wreckage left the site on the Douro River around 11:15 AM.
Typically, wreckage from aircraft accidents is taken to the hangar at Viseu aerodrome, where the national aircraft accident investigation service is located, but this information has not yet been officially confirmed.
In that area of the Douro River, in Samodães, Lamego municipality, several boats from different entities involved in this operation are operating.
The search operations, coordinated by the Port Captain and local commander of the Douro Maritime Police, involve elements from the Maritime Police’s forensic diving group, the Douro Maritime Police local command, and volunteer firefighters from Resende, Lamego, Peso da Régua, Castelo de Paiva, Cruz Branca de Vila Real, Mesão Frio, and Armamar.
A team of divers from the Portuguese Navy and a team from the Hydrographic Institute with a side-scan sonar, which helps locate aircraft wreckage, are also participating in the search.
With drone support, there are elements from the Army’s Special Operations Troops Center, a team from the Civil Protection Special Force (FEPC), and GNR elements, who also support with diving teams.
The psychology offices of the Maritime Police and INEM are providing support to the victims’ families, and elements of the Maritime Police’s Central Criminal Investigation Unit (UCIC) are investigating the causes of the accident.
The Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft Accidents and Railway Accidents also has a team on the ground investigating the accident.
