Rescue helicopter disaster in Slovenský Raj, three people dead

On Friday a rescue service helicopter crashed in Slovenský Raj National Park (Košice region), resulting in three people losing their lives. The downed helicopter, which was en route to rescue an injured boy, became caught up in power lines and fell into water. The crew was made up of a pilot, doctor and a paramedic. Their bodies were transported from the crash site by their fellow colleagues, Interior Ministry spokesman Ivan Netík said on Saturday. According to Jozef Janiga, the chief of the Mountain Rescue Service, it is estimated the helicopter crashed 150 metres from its destination, where the boy had fallen and lay injured. Janiga added that the crash could have been caused by the sunset, which may have blinded the pilot. "It is now certain that two wires of the high voltage power lines were torn... some wires were found on the helicopter's rotor, so a collision is obvious. But how it happened, it's up to the investigation," stressed Janiga.