Police Confirm Identity of Helicopter

Police have today completed a scene examination of the remote site where the wreckage of a Hughes 500 helicopter was located yesterday near Humboldt Creek in Fiordland.

Seven specialist Police staff and two alpine cliff rescue team members flew into the area this morning to undertake the examination.

Police confirm that the helicopter is the Hughes 500 which went missing on 3 January 2004 with pilot Campbell Montgomerie (27) and Hannah Rose Timings (28) on board.

The pair is yet to be formally identified and this will be done through DNA.

On 3 January 2004 the helicopter had been en route in difficult weather conditions from Howden Hut to Milford Sound when it lost radio contact with the Milford Radio Tower shortly before 9am.

An extensive search and rescue operation was mounted the same day throughout the Hollyford Valley. The scenario-based search covered the various routes that the helicopter might have taken from Lake Howden to Milford Sound and included over 200 flying hours and 2,500 people hours.

Police say that the wreckage was found at the extremities of the original search area, which comprised extraordinarily difficult and complex terrain.

Inspector Olaf Jensen says that the thoughts of Police are with the families at this time and Police hope that the discovery of the wreckage brings some closure for them.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Scoop Business: Bathurst Gets Nod For DoC Access To Denniston Mine

Conservation Minister Nick Smith has approved access over conservation estate land for Bathurst Resources to develop an open cast coal mine on the Denniston Plateau, above Westport, to the dismay of environmental opponents.

The timing for Smith’s move avoids Bathurst having to resubmit applications for access agreements under the revised Crown Minerals Act, which comes into force tomorrow and would have required public consultation.

The announcement lands in the middle of delicate negotiations between the company, environmental groups and other interested parties that could pave the way to a broader agreement on the Escarpment proposal, whose resource consents are still subject to court appeals. More>>