(TheRedWire.com) – Every year, thousands of wealthy Russian VIP tourists descend on the beautiful Kurile Lake area, which sits on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s far east. The area is famed for its gorgeous views of volcanoes, geysers, and thousands of wild brown bears. Unfortunately, on Thursday, August 12, the adventure turned deadly for one helicopter carrying 13 tourists and 3 crew members.
Seven 'VIP tourists' are feared dead and at least eight swim for their lives after helicopter crashes into Russian volcanic lakehttps://t.co/fluxjkGkMB
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 12, 2021
The Russian Mi-8 helicopter encountered a bad situation. According to reports, at the time of the crash, the region was experiencing dense fog when the chopper crashed nose-first into the ice-cold 43-degree Fahrenheit lake. Rear cargo hatches at the helicopter’s back opened on impact, allowing eight survivors to make the brutal swim to the surface.
Wildlife rangers hearing the chopper impact the water jumped into action within seconds. They immediately launched two high-speed boats. Within three to four minutes, the rangers arrived at the scene to find the eight survivors skimming the surface of the water. While the rangers rescued the survivors, the helicopter sat 328 feet below the surface. Divers did not find any bodies floating in the water. Unfortunately, divers utilized equipment that could only go down to 28 feet. Local authorities asked the Russian Navy with deep diving equipment for assistance.
Authorities believe the likely causes of the crash were engine problems and pilot error.
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