3 dead, 4 in critical condition after helicopter crashes north of Terrace, B.C.

Three people died after a helicopter crashed in northwestern B.C. on Monday afternoon, a heli-skiing company confirmed. Four others are in hospital in critical condition.

The Northern Escape Heli-Skiing aircraft went down north of Terrace around 4:15 p.m.

“It is impossible to put into words the profound grief that we feel and the sorrow that our guests and our staff share. We hope you will respect the privacy of those impacted at this extremely difficult time,” John Forrest, president of Northern Escape said in a statement confirming the fatalities Monday night.

BC Emergency Health Services told CTV News it sent several primary care, advanced care and critical care paramedics to the scene, including three air ambulances and five ground ambulances.

Paramedics treated four patients at the scene, and they were taken to Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace in critical condition.

The hospital declared a Code Orange, which is used to respond to mass casualty incidents, a spokesperson for Northern Health said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved. We also want to thank Mills Memorial staff and medical staff who responded quickly and compassionately” it reads.

Forrest said Northern Escape will work closely with Mounties and other authorities who are investigating the cause of the crash.