Pilot Dies in Helicopter Crash Near Slave Lake

Helping to battle a blaze that has devastated the town, pilot's chopper crashes into a nearby lake.

A male helicopter pilot, who was helping to fight forest fires in Slave Lake, Alta., died at the scene when his aircraft crashed near the south shore of Lesser Slave Lake on Friday. He was the only person on board. The chopper was owned and operated by Campbell Helicopters of Abbotsford, B.C., and was being privately contracted by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development to fight forest fires. Twelve firefighters who helped with the rescue in frigid waters were treated for hypothermia and exposure to aircraft fuel. The name of the deceased man has not been released.