Pedro Nuno Santos hopes the sacrifice of soldiers killed in helicopter crash will be remembered and honoured

PS Secretary General Pedro Nuno Santos expressed his condolences to the families of the soldiers killed in the helicopter crash, hoping that their “dedication and sacrifice will always be remembered and honoured.”

“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the Polish People’s Republic and the families of the soldiers who were victims of the tragic helicopter crash on the Douro River today while on a mission to extinguish fires and help the population,” reads a post on social media.

Pedro Nuno Santos hopes that the “dedication and sacrifice” of these soldiers “will always be remembered and respected.”

“I also wish a speedy recovery to the pilot injured in this accident and express my words of solidarity and recognition to all those who carry out daily missions in the service of the security of the Portuguese people and, in today’s context, the fundamental role of all the operational commands involved in the operation,” he stresses.

A forest firefighting helicopter landed on the Douro River this Friday at 12:50 pm near the town of Samodaines, Lamego, and was carrying a pilot and a team of five UEPS soldiers who were returning from a fire in the municipality of Baia.

The pilot of the plane was rescued alive, having suffered only minor injuries.

So far, the bodies of four NTC soldiers have been found, another element is missing and the search continues.

The causes of the accident are not yet known.

The Portuguese government agency, the Directorate for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft and Rail Accidents (GPIAAF), has a team on the ground and is investigating the accident.

The AS350 emergency helicopter — Écureuil is operated by HTA Helicópteros, based in Loulé, Algarve.