AirMedic helicopter crash near Natashquan: four people unaccounted for

 

NEWS ACCIDENTS Saturday June 21, 2025 12:43 PM

 

Natashquan, June 21, 2025 - A vast rescue operation has been underway since 10:30 pm Friday evening in the Natashquan region, on the North Shore, following the crash of a helicopter.

The aircraft, an AirMedic helicopter, has been officially identified by the company.

According to the AirMedic spokeswoman, five people were on board: four crew members and one passenger. Air-Medic was providing medical transport.

The Sûreté du Québec confirmed that only one person managed to extricate himself from the aircraft and go for help, thus triggering the alert. The other four people are still missing.

The search for the aircraft has not yet been successful.

Information remains fragmentary, but it is possible that the helicopter crashed into a body of water, possibly a lake or river. Since then, a major search operation has been deployed on the ground. Police, firefighters, paramedics, specialized search teams and helicopters have all been mobilized. The Canadian Armed Forces are also actively involved in locating the aircraft.

A command post has been set up to coordinate operations. The precise location of the crash has not yet been identified, and the aircraft remains unaccounted for for the time being.

 

 

Airmedic announces the temporary interruption of its

Air operations, until further notice. Our emergency center remains active for any pre-hospital emergency in Quebec. We remain available for transport by land ambulance, as well as with our partners for helicopter evacuations

 

Thank you for your understanding.

 Update: Official Statement - Airmedic - Montreal, June 23rd - 11:45pm ET
It is with great sadness that we have learned that, around 7 p.m. tonight, divers from the Sûreté du Québec located one of the crew members who had been missing following the crash of the helicopter that was performing a medical evacuation operation last Friday.
The search to locate the device and other people who are still missing will continue tomorrow.
In these painful hours, the entire great Airmedic family is mourning. Our thoughts are with the family and relatives of our colleague, to whom we offer our deepest condolences.
We are deeply upset and stand with each other through this ordeal.
As the procedure wants, the identity of the victim will be communicated by the coroner once formal identification is completed and consent from the family obtained.
We reiterate our deep gratitude to the Sûreté du Québec teams for their commitment and tireless work. We're hopeful that the search will lead to finding the rest of our team members and patients who have been missing.

 

Update: Official Statement – Airmedic – Montreal, June 25 – 10:00 p.m. (EDT)

 

It is with great sadness that we received the news today from the Sûreté du Québec confirming that the two crew members who were still missing, as well as the patient, were found in Lake Watshishou by divers deployed to the site. The helicopter was also found, bringing the search operations to a close.

 

This confirmation has stirred up emotions among our teams. A moment of reflection is beginning for the entire Airmedic family. We will take the time to pay tribute to them and honor their commitment. They lost their lives while trying to save others—an act that embodies their passion, their vision, and the meaning they gave to their profession. Additional details will be released in the coming days.

 

Our thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and colleagues affected by this loss, as well as the family of our patient, to whom we extend our deepest condolences. The memory of all those who have passed away will remain with our organization. In their memory, we continue to support each other with the same solidarity that unites us. The formal identification of the victims will be communicated by the Coroner's Office, in accordance with current procedures and with the consent of the families.

The Coroner's Office confirms that the four people who lost their lives in the June 20 helicopter crash on the North Shore of Lake Watshishou have been formally identified.

They are : Sébastien De Lutio, 50, from Lac-Beauport, Olivier Blouin, 25, from Pont-Rouge, Sébastien Groulx, 50, from Longueuil, Claire Tripp, 78, from the state of Maine, USA, the patient who was being cared for by Airmedic, the company's subsidiary.

Airmedic pays tribute to the victims