Family members of a missing oil worker are pleading for authorities to recover his body following a helicopter crash in the Gulf of Guinea last Thursday.
The incident involved a Sikorsky SK76 helicopter operated by East Wind Aviation, which went down while transporting workers from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The crash has left families devastated, especially for Mr. Boris Ledum Ndorbu’s family. His son, Mr. Ledum Light, expressed his grief in an interview with PUNCH, explaining how the news of his father’s tragic death shocked him.
He said, “My father was one of the crew members who were on their way to work. I got the information from his employer as they called to disclose the information to us that Thursday afternoon, about 3 pm.
“It was very shocking and devastating because I spoke with my dad that morning and he was in good health. He was very sound and he was hale and hearty and there was no sign of such coming at all.”
“As at this moment, from the information we have gotten, they are yet to recover their bodies. So far, we’ve been made to understand that only three bodies have been recovered and that of my dad wasn’t among the three that have been recovered.”
“From their information so far, they said I think it was divers that have been deployed so far.”
“To the best of our knowledge, no serious effort has been put in place because I think it’s just divers that were deployed and we’re sure that there are other infrastructures that have been put in place, deployed onboard the sea to aid in the search process alongside the divers that were deployed.”
“He has been shuttling from the hotel to the naval base to secure his flight to work, so he didn’t leave the house.
“He has been shuttling from the hotel to the naval base until I think it was that Thursday they were able to have gotten them on board the helicopter. So from the hotel, they left for the naval base.
“We communicated that morning because I sent something home for him and he called me to confirm that the thing had been delivered home for him.
“We communicated around 7, 6:30, and 8 am that Thursday. We had a brief communication because I was preparing to go outside so we just communicated very briefly and he told me that they were at the muster point heading to the naval base to go off to work.
“At this point, basically and primarily, all that we’re after is for the bodies to be recovered, because that’s the most important thing.
He added, “It’s so dear to us and we only want to see him, we only want to have him back. So, we’re calling on all relevant authorities to please do the best within their reach, within their confines to ensure that anything that has to be done is done to recover back the body because that’s what’s most precious to us at this point, that’s what will console us at this point.”
So far, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed that two bodies were recovered from the water. Initially, three bodies were thought to have been found, but this count was later updated.
On Sunday evening, the NSIB located an additional body; however, it was headless, making identification challenging. This has left Mr. Ledum Light and his family in a state of uncertainty, as they await news of their father’s body.
The Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Chairman, Harold Gift Ntem, clarified that the accident happened over international waters in the Gulf of Guinea, close to the OML-123 Antan FPSO oil field, operated by the NNPC.
Ntem criticized the field’s management, alleging negligence and a lack of safety measures for the helicopter flight. “The crash took the lives of six workers, including the pilot and co-pilot,” he said. “Our eyes are filled with tears, and we’re grieving for our loved ones. These were workers, fathers, and engineers who never made it home.”
He emphasized that the union is working to hold the management accountable and push for improved safety measures to prevent future tragedies. Families of the deceased hope that this tragic event will encourage more rigorous safety checks in the oil industry.
The Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that the NSIB had identified one more body. Posting on X, he shared, “The body matches the description provided by family members.” The NSIB reported that East Wind Aviation was coordinating with local marine police to transfer the body to Port Harcourt.
