Student killed in freak helicopter horror as pal snapped pictures of tragedy
In a horrifying incident, a politician's son was killed instantly when a helicopter plummeted from the sky and struck him as he walked down the street.
Isiah Otieno, the 23-year-old son of a Kenyan minister, was tragically killed in the freak accident.
His father, Dalmas Otieno, the former Kenyan Public Service Minister, heartbreakingly discovered the news of his son's death in an email.
Back in 2008, Isiah was studying at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. On May 13, he set out to post a letter to his family in Nairobi.
As he crossed the street, a Bell 206 helicopter conducting power line inspections suddenly fell from the sky, crashed into him, and erupted into flames, reports Nairobi Leo. Eyewitnesses recounted how the aircraft seemed to struggle mid-air before spiralling into a fiery wreckage on a quiet residential street, reports the Express.
Tragically, several bystanders reportedly tried to warn Isiah, shouting for him to move. However, he was wearing earphones and may not have heard the helicopter's noise or the frantic calls from those nearby.
The crash also claimed the lives of pilot Edward Heeb, 57, and BC Hydro employees Dirk Rozenboom, 45, and Robert Lehmann, 37.
Earlier this year another Bell helicopter crashed near Pier 40 in New York City, killing six people.
Chillingly, one of the eyewitnesses who captured the unfolding tragedy was Isiah's best friend, who was taking photos of the tragedy as it happened.
One onlooker, Elmer Bautz, said: "There was a pedestrian walking on the street across from me and he was just about at the back alley and I don't think he even knew what hit him."
Another witness said: "It didn't crash at a high speed. The pilot had been trying to control it, but the motor was out at that point and he fell the last 15 feet. Unfortunately, it hit a pedestrian on the sidewalk."
In a tragic turn of events, Isiah's heartbroken father, Dalmas Otieno, received the dreadful news via email. Isaiah's friends used his own email account to break the news to his dad, with the grim details later confirmed by Canadian officials.
Dalmas had just spoken to his son over the phone barely an hour before the fatal incident.
The College of the Rockies paid tribute to Isaiah with a memorial service. Nick Rubidge, who was the President and CEO at the time, remembered him as a kind-hearted, cheerful, and gentle lad, who proudly represented his homeland.
"He had a wonderful, gentle nature and was an excellent ambassador for his nation," Rubidge remarked.
Subsequent investigations disclosed the helicopter had encountered a catastrophic engine failure. In a valiant last act, the pilot steered towards the street to avoid hitting any houses, tragically striking Isiah in the process.
In the aftermath of the inquest, a jury put forward eight recommendations to Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board. These encompassed more explicit regulations for helicopter operators, a mandate for dual-engine aircraft when flying over urban areas, and compulsory data trackers on all commercial helicopters.
Following the tragic loss of his son, Dalmas Otieno travelled to Cranbrook, accompanied by his wife and the Kenyan High Commissioner to Canada, demanding compensation for the tragedy. The former Kenyan Public Service Minister expressed that while no sum could replace his son, he hopes for a swift conclusion to the investigation.
The engine from the ill-fated helicopter was meticulously disassembled and examined by the Transportation Safety Board. Senior investigator Damien Lawson acknowledged that pinpointing the cause of the accident would be a formidable task.
TSB spokesperson Bill Yearwood stated that investigators were fortunate that despite the blaze that consumed the helicopter post-crash, the engine remained largely intact. Given the absence of a flight data recorder on the helicopter, any information derived from the engine was vital and confirmed engine failure had caused the crash.
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