Panama’s National Aviation Service (Senan/aviation police) reported this Tuesday: they found lifeless to two of the three crew members of the crashed police helicopter. The search for the third one continues last Sunday in a forested area near the Caribbean coast.
“Unfortunately, I have to inform you that we lost two colleagues. They were found at 2.43 in the afternoon (19.43 GTM). The commandos arrived at the location of the helicopter and were able to identify the two lifeless bodies. Captain Javier Hinestroza (pilot) and Major Felix Barrera,” Senan’s director Eliécer Cárdenas said. informed the media.
The Senan AW-139 helicopter, while transporting three Caribbean aid units from outposts, crashed last Sunday in the Coclesito mountain range, a difficult-to-access area close to the Caribbean coast, about 170 kilometers north of Panama City.
“We are looking for the third crew, First Corporal Héctor Atencio (…) whom we have not yet found. The helicopter is over the cliff and the commandos are trying to do the job,” Cárdenas said. The director of Panama’s air-maritime police noted that they deployed “56 public force units, 5 aircraft” and had the assistance of the Southern Command of the United States.
According to Senan data, the last communication with the helicopter was recorded on Sunday morning, and the helicopter disappeared while flying from Punta Rincón to Santiago de Veraguas, Veraguas province (in the northwestern part of the country).
Panamanian security forces located the helicopter that crashed on Monday. So far they have not reported the reasons for the accident.