Coimbra Region Mourns GNR Soldiers Killed in Helicopter Crash

The Coimbra region has expressed deep sorrow over the death of five soldiers from the GNR’s Emergency Protection and Rescue Unit who died in a helicopter crash while on a firefighting mission. The helicopter, carrying a pilot and a crew of five soldiers, was returning from a fire in the Baiao municipality when it crashed near the town of Samodaes, Lamego. The pilot was rescued with minor injuries, but the bodies of four soldiers have been recovered. The search for the fifth soldier continues. The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the Portuguese State’s Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Air and Rail Accidents (GPIAAF). The crashed helicopter, an AS350 Écureuil model, was operated by the HTA Helicopters company based in Loulé, Algarve.