4 People Confirmed Dead in Helicopter Crash at Remote Alaska Lake

The bodies of the four victims, including the helicopter pilot, were recovered from the shallow lake on Sunday

Four people have been confirmed dead after a helicopter crashed into a shallow lake in Alaska last week.

On Sunday, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources confirmed in a statement that they had lost three employees in the crash, while the pilot of the helicopter also died.

“The Department of Natural Resources is mourning the loss of three Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys teammates and their pilot in a helicopter crash on the North Slope,” the statement read. “Today, search and rescue officials confirmed that four victims had been found in the wreckage of the helicopter initially located early Friday morning.”

“It is with very heavy hearts we announce the loss of DGGS employees Ronnie Daanen, Justin Germann and Tori Moore, along with pilot Tony Higdon,” the statement continued. “DNR will remain in close contact with their families, and continue to offer our prayers and condolences to all of their loved ones.”

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According to the Associated Press, Alaska search-and-rescue divers recovered the bodies of the four crash victims from the sunken wreckage on Sunday. The employees had been doing field survey work near the city of Utqiaġvik, per the Alaska Department of Natural Resources

The cause of the crash, which happened on Thursday, is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, NBC News reports.

Per The New York Times, the wreckage of the helicopter was found in a shallow lake in a remote area about 50 miles southwest of Utqiagvik. The aircraft was a Bell 206, as reported by the outlet.

The company that operated the helicopter, Maritime Helicopters, said in a statement that “the entire Maritime family is deeply saddened by this tragedy and ask that you keep your thoughts and prayers” for the families who lost loved ones in the incident.

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In a second statement, the company paid tribute to pilot Higdon, whom they said was “loved and respected.”

“We all knew Tony as the consummate professional and a skilled pilot,” the latter statement read. “He will be greatly missed.”

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AP reported that Higdon was 48 years old and from North Pole, Alaska.

According to the outlet, Clint Johnson, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region, said that the only way to raise the wreckage from the lake would be to use another helicopter.

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