According to Garrison Petawawa officials, a team of Canadian Armed Forces personnel, with support from contracted companies, will raise the CH-147F Chinook helicopter that was lost back on June 20th. If you happen to be in the area, you may see more marine and shore activity on the Ottawa River over the coming days and are asked to keep clear of the recovery site. The helicopter will be raised with support from barges and it will be recovered using a crane. Once the aircraft is raised, it will be towed to shore and further assessed as part of an ongoing Directorate of Flight Safety investigation. There are still some dangers, however. With the possibility of fuel being released from the aircraft, a spill containment response was implemented in the form of booms. Small amounts of gas released from the helicopter have been noted in the water within the containment area and have been removed. At this point, there is no evidence of any environmental contamination along the riverbank or the beach. Sampling and monitoring of the area will continue. All efforts will be made to ensure that disruption to the community will be kept to a minimum. The Royal Canadian Air Force and Garrison Petawawa say they are grateful for the support and understanding of the community during this complex recovery operation.
(Written by: Kyle Robinson)
