Flying high above the frozen wilderness in the Northwest Territories, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) search and rescue technician Sgt. Vincent CBenoit prepared for a daring mission. The RCAF crew from Winnipeg was dispatched to rescue 10 individuals involved in a plane crash near the Diavik diamond mine. The privately chartered Air Tindi flight had crashed about 16 kilometers southeast of the mine, leaving two people seriously injured and six others with minor injuries. Equipped with supplies and equipment, CBenoit and his team parachuted into the crash site in dark and windy conditions. After a long night of sheltering together in tents, everyone was eventually airlifted to Yellowknife for medical care.
Despite the passage of time, CBenoit reflects on the mission, stating, We’ll remember that for the rest of our lives. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is currently investigating the cause of the crash.
