EDMONTON- Two men are in hospital after a helicopter crash near Fort Saskatchewan.
Police, EMS and fire crews were called to a rural location on Township Road 544, west of Range Road 225, around 4:00 Friday afternoon. RCMP say the helicopter was working on the construction of the Heartland Transmission Project when it came into contact with a tower and crashed into a field.
A 29-year-old man who was working on the transmission tower was taken to the University of Alberta Hospital by STARS Air Ambulance. RCMP say he is in serious condition. Colin Fast, a spokesperson with STARS, says the man fell off the skid of the helicopter and suffered numerous broken bones.
Another man, the pilot of the helicopter, was taken by ground ambulance to the U of A hospital, AltaLink said Friday evening.
Get daily National news
“Our first concern is the health of the worker and the pilot injured in this incident,” said Johanne Picard-Thompson, senior vice president of projects for AltaLink. “We will begin an investigation immediately to learn what may have caused the helicopter to fail.”
AltaLink says the use of helicopters in both the construction and maintenance of transmission lines is regular practice.
“It is a very safe practice that we have completed many, many times before,” said Scott Schreiner, director of external engagement with AltaLink. “There’s a number of safety measures that are involved. Everyday before doing any work we complete a safe work plan.
“Workers are harnessed in… and they use every available safety measure to try and ensure their safety while they’re on the job.”
The power line was not energized at the time of the collision, as it was under construction.
The cause of the crash is not yet known. Two Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators have been deployed to the site to investigate.
“We’ll assess the information we have and determine if we will do a full investigation,” said Chris Krepski, a spokesperson with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Occupational Health and Safety is also involved in the investigation.
RCMP say both men were in serious condition Friday evening. Their names are not being released.
Comments