Helicopter crash in southwest Colombia leaves 1 dead, 4 injured

A Colombian naval helicopter crashed near the Ecuadorian border leaving one crew member dead and another four injured, local media reported on Sunday.

According to reports, the helicopter was en route to the southwestern town of Guapi to pick up a Colombian soldier in need of medical treatment.

The helicopter went down a little over a mile off the Pacific coast and resulted in the death of John Jairo Ocoro Torres, 33 years old and a 15-year veteran of the Colombian navy.

The pilot, co-pilot and two other crew members were also injured, though none suffered serious injuries.

A Colombian military comander reportedly claimed that the crash was “due to bad weather.”
After news broke of the tragedy, Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos said that “all the families of the soldiers who die in the line of duty know they have our heart, our sense of solidarity, admiration and gratitude.”

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