Man recovering after being struck by helicopter blade

A man is in a Edmonton hospital after being hit by a helicopter blade while carrying out geological work north of La Loche, Sask.

On Tuesday morning, the man was one of three people arriving at an exploration site near Forrest Lake.

The helicopter, an AS-350, touched down on a soft muskeg heli-pad.

According to the Transportation Safety Board, the man and one of his colleagues then exited the craft while the rotor-blades were still spinning.

The man walked to the cargo bay, and then around to the front of the helicopter where he was hit.

Chris Krepski of the Transportation Safety Board says it appears the front skids of the helicopter may have sunk down into the soft ground, causing it to be lower than it normally would have been.

Teddy Clarke, chief of the Clearwater River Dene Nation and the owner of Big Bear Contracting, the company doing the work, says medical help was summoned immediately.

"From talking to his wife and from talking to other people who are in Edmonton, he is actually doing pretty good considering the incident he was involved with," says Clarke.

He says his company emphasizes safety in the field and it's unfortunate the incident occurred.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Labor Relations and Workplace Safety says they are also reviewing the incident.

Source:   http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca