On Sunday, around 11:56 a.m., a civilian helicopter crashed into South Kalimantan’s Barito River, in Barito Kuala regency, while engaged in a forest fire suppression operation involving water bombing.
The aircraft involved was a Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma bearing the registration VH-HGM. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), it carried three crew members at the time of the accident.
Earlier in the week, a similar mishap occurred on Wednesday when an Indonesian Army Mi-17V5 heavy-transport helicopter sank while drawing water for a firefighting effort in neighboring Central Kalimantan.
BNPB initially announced that all crew members had survived the Sunday crash. The agency later clarified that two foreign crew members were rescued, while an Indonesian crew member was still missing.
Local district head Zulkarnain Masdipura informed the South Barito Disaster Mitigation Agency that one crew member had been found dead and was being taken away, BNPB reported.
The deceased was identified as Yayan Supyansury, who served as a helicopter landing officer. The two survivors are Australian Michael John Betterridge and New Zealander Hugh Andrew John Page.
Forest fires have become a recurring challenge in South Kalimantan during the dry season, prompting authorities to rely heavily on aerial water drops to contain flames before they spread to populated areas.
A video circulating on social media captures the Super Puma lowering its Bambi bucket into the river, then losing altitude before its nose tipped downward and the aircraft plunged beneath the surface.
