Helicopter pilot is in “stable” condition
A firefighting helicopter crashed on Thursday afternoon while carrying out the last water drop of the day over a fire in the municipality of Amares (Braga).
The 53-year-old pilot was the only person in the helicopter and sustained serious injuries.
The good news is that the pilot is “out of danger,” despite having sustained several injuries and fractures, particularly in the lower limbs and pelvic area, civil protection commander Pedro Araújo told Lusa news agency.
A source linked to the aviation sector previously told Lusa that the aircraft was a Bell 412, operated by Helibravo, based in Arcos de Valdevez, in the district of Viana do Castelo.
The source added that the accident happened when the helicopter hit a “very high voltage line”.
Authorities were alerted at 7.25pm and took around two hours to rescue the man, as the helicopter crashed in a “hard to reach” area which emergency services had to access by foot.
