Fatal helicopter crash on Watshishou Lake during medical evacuation

Casualties unknown • Havre-Saint-Pierre Airport (CYGV) (Quebec), 47 NM ENE, CA

An MBB-BK117 helicopter crashed into Watshishou Lake, Quebec, resulting in four fatalities during a night medical evacuation mission.

What happened

On the night of 20 June 2025, an MBB-BK117 helicopter, registered as B-2 and operated by Airmédic Inc., departed from an outfitter at Watshishou Lake, Quebec. The flight was a medical evacuation mission conducted under visual flight rules, intended to transport a patient to a hospital. The aircraft was carrying two crew members and two medical personnel at the time of the accident.

Shortly after departing the outfitter, the helicopter struck the surface of the lake and submerged. One individual managed to escape the sinking aircraft and swam to the nearby shore, where they were rescued by a witness via boat. The remaining four occupants sustained fatal injuries.

Search efforts were coordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. The wreckage of the aircraft was not located in the lake until the evening of 23 June.

The investigation

The TSB is currently conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the impact and subsequent sinking of the aircraft.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2025-06-20 Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm MBB-BK117 B-2 (helicopter) accident near Havre-Saint-Pierre Airport (CYGV) (Quebec), 47 NM ENE, CA?

An MBB-BK117 helicopter crashed into Watshishou Lake, Quebec, resulting in four fatalities during a night medical evacuation mission.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2025-06-20 involved a Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm MBB-BK117 B-2 (helicopter), operated by Airmédic Inc., at Havre-Saint-Pierre Airport (CYGV) (Quebec), 47 NM ENE, CA.

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