A pilot and three passengers have been reported safe after a helicopter went down behind the Iron Horse Pub in Lone Butte, southeast of 100 Mile House.
The incident occurred around noon on Sunday, July 6. It was reported via a 9-1-1 call, to which members of the Lone Butte Fire Department, 100 Mile House RCMP, 100 Mile House Fire Rescue, and BC Emergency Health Services responded.
"It was quite the experience," says Karen Owens, owner of the Iron Horse Pub. She says that she was not at the pub when the incident happened, and heard about it when a member of staff called her.
Owens — who lives near the pub — was there within two minutes. She spoke with a neighbour who lives behind the pub, who said that he had heard a helicopter go over at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday, then return about two hours later.
"He said that he heard it, then it just went silent."
Two staff members came out from the pub to assess the situation, then went back inside to get ice and water. Emergency crews were soon on scene, and Owens says they stepped back to let the "wonderful teams" of first responders do their thing.
"Everyone appeared to be good and coherent," says Owens. "I'm sure they're all in shock, but everybody seemed good, considering. Hopefully they have a speedy recovery."
She adds that helicopters landing at the Iron Horse are not unusual, but this event was certainly far from ordinary.
"It's not uncommon to have helicopters come in and have reservations for lunches," she explains. "We're lucky they include us and we have space for them to land in our back field. It's a great thing for people to see when they're having lunch: you see a helicopter land and people come in and enjoy a meal and then leave again."
Late on Sunday afternoon, RCMP confirmed that all four people on board the helicopter were alive. The male pilot was taken by ambulance to Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake, while his wife was flown by helicopter to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops after being extricated by 100 Mile House Fire Rescue. The other two passengers, only one of whom was a patient, went to the hospital in 100 Mile House.
Police say that the helicopter was attempting to land at the Iron Horse Pub when strong gusts of wind compromised the landing.
