Low Altitude Helitour Crash Near Islington Lake

Early on Sunday evening, a call was made by Gatwick ATC to the MET control desk after a helicopter carrying out a low altitude helitour disappeared from radar and radio communications were lost. ATC provided flight plan details which placed the aircraft somewhere between Islington Lake and the north west coastline, with three souls on board. Superintendent M. Harrod, who was resting in a nearby layby after his Sunday roast, was first to arrive and established scene command at the Islington caravan site, commonly referred to as Stab City.

Superintendent Harrod called for rural policing teams, London Fire Brigade appliances, and LAS assets to attend. Following a long and challenging search, assisted by an NPAS helicopter, the missing aircraft was located on fire and heavily damaged.

Two of the three people on board were found deceased on arrival, having suffered significant injuries on impact. The third individual, the pilot, was discovered seriously injured on a cliff edge after being ejected from the aircraft shortly before collision. Specialist Search and Rescue teams from LAS HART and LFB FRU recovered the patient using rope rescue equipment and transported him to the nearby triage point for treatment before he was rushed to St Thomas Hospital, where he remains in intensive care.