On September 9th 2013, the CCGS Amundsen’s helicopter crashed taking the life of all 3 of its occupants. While we understand the arctic to be a dangerous place this terrible event sent shockwaves through our team. We have been working with the Amundsen and the ArcticNet team since 2007 and were glad to be able to answer their call for assistance for the impromptu search and recovery expedition by sending two of our pilots from the R/V Falkor expedition to the CCGS Amundsen to operate the ArcticNet’s Sub-Atlantic Super Mohawk ROV and to provide expertise on these difficult operations.

This was a very challenging expedition which was made a success through tremendous teamwork and a diverse set of expertise. These efforts were acknowledged in a Transportation Safety Board press release sent shortly after we recovered the wreckage:

“Thanks to the technical expertise of the Canadian Coast Guard crew, to ArcticNet, and to the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility pilots who operated the Amundsen's remotely-operated vehicle, the wreckage was raised to the surface of the water yesterday where it was safely lifted onto the deck of the Amundsen and then transferred to the Larsen”

Though it was under sad circumstance, it was a privilege to be part of an exceptional team sharing a common goal; to provide answers to the tragedy that took the lives of Captain Marc Thibault, Daniel Dubé, and Dr. Klaus Hochheim.

For more information on the investigation you can visit the TSB active investigation page.