A government minister in Madagascar has said he swam for 12 hours to safety after his helicopter crashed at sea during a rescue mission, reports BBC.
About the incident
The team had been flying to inspect the site of a shipwreck in the north-east of the country on Monday night.
The number of people confirmed dead in that accident has risen to 85 after 21 more bodies were retrieved on Wednesday, the maritime agency said, the AFP news agency reports.
The helicopter’s pilot and another military officer on board are still missing, he said.
Rescue
About 50 people have so far been rescued, with three others still missing, it added.
The vessel was a cargo ship that was not authorized to carry passengers, and was overloaded and water flooded its engine, an agency official was quoted by Reuters news as saying.
Mr. Gelle’s rescue story
Speaking on Tueday, Mr Gelle, 57, said his helicopter came down after it caught a gust of wind, and he swam from “7:30 last night , until 7:30 this morning,” to Mahambo.
He said he had no injuries but added that he was feeling cold.
Police chief Zafisambatra Ravoavy told AFP that Mr Gelle had used one of the helicopter’s seats as a flotation device.
Mr Gelle had served in the police for three decades before his appointment as minister in August.
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Source: BBC
