Helicopter disappears in Indonesia

A man was found alive two days after a helicopter crashed into a large lake in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, local television reported Tuesday.

“When he was found, he was floating naked on Lake Toba”, said Robin.

The single-engine light Eurocopter EC-130 belonging to PT Penerbangan Angkasa Semesta took off for the hour-long flight from Sumatra’s Samosir island to Kualanamu airport in Medan city when it lost contact at 12.20pm, transport ministry spokesman J A Barata told AFP.

It last made contact around 11.50 a.m.

According to a report by kompas.com, fragments of helicopter seat have been found in the waters of Lake Toba. “We have sent the search and rescue agency personnel to look for it”, he said.

The survivor told rescuers that all five had stayed together, floating on water hyacinth about 2 miles from Samosir island, until Monday evening when the current separated them, said Heronimus Guru, the deputy operation director at the National Search and Rescue Agency.

Indonesia has a poor aviation safety record and has suffered major disasters in recent months, including plane crashes in December and August in which more than 200 people died.

The incident comes only a week after a Twin Otter turboprop plane operated by Aviastar crashed into the rough terrain of Mount Latimojong, Luwu District, South Sulawesi.