North Yorkshire Police have said that emergency services are on the scene of an incident off Bentham Road near Burton in Lonsdale, on the back road between Ingleton and Bentham, where a helicopter has crashed into a field.
The incident occurred shortly before lunchtime today (Monday 20th June 2022)
The public is strongly advised to avoid the area. It is estimated that up to two dozen emergency vehicles are on the scene.
At this time, police have provided no additional information.
The accident occurred on the outskirts of Rivers Edge Holiday Park.
According to a source, it was a privately-owned helicopter with a Ukrainian passenger on board, but this has not been confirmed.
Locals were told there was a pilot and at least one passenger on board the helicopter before it crashed into a field in Burton in Lonsdale, according to a local fabrications business.
He said he’d spoken to other people on the scene who thought police and fire crews were looking for someone who ‘bailed out’ before the helicopter went down.
“The helicopter was on fire,” he explained. We were told that the pilot was still alive, but that one or two other people were missing and may have bailed out of the helicopter before it crashed.
“I believe police helicopters were looking for someone.”
“We went to take a look because it was only around the corner and someone said that.” The fire service was searching the fields, and there was a police helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera.
“It appeared that they were looking for someone.” The firefighter could be seen searching the fields.”
“I didn’t hear anything,” he said. The ambulance was the first thing I heard. I then took a look around to see what was going on.
“There aren’t many helicopters landing around here.” I’m acquainted with the farmer of the field. My first concern was that something bad would happen to him.
“I was shocked to learn it was a helicopter crash.””
Locals at the nearby Rivers Edge Holiday Home & Lodge Park caravan site in Ingleton, North Yorkshire, said they were in “shock” after the earlier-in-the-day crash.
One of the site’s employees confirmed that people from the site “assisted” with the incident, but refused to provide any further details.
“There was a crash,” she explained. People from the site went over to help. The manager is taken aback.”
A Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed the air ambulance was dispatched to the scene but would not confirm the number of casualties.
