Two bodies found in New Zealand chopper wreckage

Divers have found the bodies of two men killed in a helicopter crash off New Zealand, as details emerge of the chopper's role in a rescue mission during firefighting efforts in the country's far north.  The bodies of the pilot and a ranger with the Department of Conservation were found by divers in the wreckage about midday on Thursday (1000 AEDT).   The five-seater Squirrel helicopter was on a rescue flight when it crashed into the sea off the Karikari Peninsula, in New Zealand's far north, on Wednesday night, the company which operates the aircraft said.

Salt Air chief executive Grant Harnish said the helicopter had been fighting a large scrub fire but had dumped its monsoon bucket after being asked to pick up people caught out by the blaze.  "The pilot had been requested by authorities to divert in order to extract people from the beach, away from approaching flames and out of harm's way," he said in a statement.   Mr Harnish said conditions were extremely difficult at the time of the crash.  "We only ever operate under those conditions if we believe human life is at risk," he said.

Two commercial divers had confirmed the bodies were in the cockpit in about seven metres of water off Karikari Moana beach.  The company was working to get the family of the pilot, who it did not name, to the crash scene.  The helicopter had been helping contain the scrub fire on the Karikari Peninsula near Matai Bay.  It crashed into the sea about 9.30pm local time.  "We cannot speculate at this stage about the cause or likely cause of the crash," Mr Harnish said.

An initial search by two helicopters and a fishing boat could not locate it and it was not until 6.30am on Thursday that it was found.  A fishing boat found an oil slick and a crew member who went into the water spotted the wreckage on the sea bed but could not see if the men were inside.  Two Civil Aviation Authority investigators and a safety adviser would look into the cause.

A CAA spokeswoman says the wreckage will be videoed before anything is removed from the water.  The fire, which is being treated as suspicious, started at 7.15pm on Wednesday. It was fanned by strong winds and quickly spread, destroying three homes and forcing five people into the sea to escape from the flames.
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