British tourists killed by helicopter in Arctic fishing expedition 'after its blades struck them during take-off'

Pair thought to have been dropped off on fishing trip in northern Russia

It is believed helicopter 'lurched' into them and Russian national on take off



Two British anglers on an ‘ultimate’ fishing trip in the remote Russian Arctic were killed in a helicopter crash yesterday.

The men and their Russian guide died when they were hit by the rotor blades of their chartered aircraft.

Both Britons were said to be in their late sixties and were on a custom salmon fishing trip to the Kola Peninsula, 90 miles from the port city of Murmansk.

They were named by Russian officials but the Foreign Office would not confirm their identities until their families were informed.

Tragedy: The helicopter which is thought to have killed the three men was a Eurocopter 120B (stock image, this helicopter was not involved in the crash)

Reports from Russia said the men had been dropped at a wilderness angling lodge by a private Eurocopter EC-120.

As the craft attempted to take off, it banked suddenly to one side and its rotor blades hit the men where they stood with their guide, Alexander Tushnikov.

The pilot, said to have 25 years’ flying experience, survived the crash with injuries.

Lines of inquiry are likely to include whether the helicopter was caught by a sudden gust of wind, causing it to tilt, or if it suffered a mechanical failure.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement: ‘After landing, the helicopter turned on its side and its rotors hit the passengers.’

The end of the Cold War opened new fishing grounds to wealthy angling enthusiasts.

The Kola Peninsula was previously a top secret area, home to the Red October submarine base and the Soviet navy’s northern fleet.

Now it is known as the ultimate destination for high-end fishing tours for Atlantic salmon, attracting anglers from around the world.



More than 100 British anglers head to its lodges every week during the peak summer season, paying around £4,000 a week for custom fishing trips.

They are flown by helicopter to unspoilt rivers surrounded by Arctic wilderness because many fishing spots are inaccessible by road.

Operators say the region has not been overfished like many popular salmon rivers and that competent anglers can catch more than 100 salmon in a week, with some fish weighing up to 40lb.

The peak season runs from June to August, when the area north of the Arctic Circle enjoys 24-hour daylight.

Outside the season, the rivers are frozen for three or four months a year.

The two British men were said to be fishing on the Rynda, one of four rivers in the area where salmon forge upstream to breed from their ocean feeding grounds.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are aware of the deaths of two British nationals in Russia.

‘We are in touch with the local authorities and we stand ready to provide consular assistance.’



Ultimate destination: Salmon anglers on the 'untouched' Kola peninsula

Justin Maxwell Stuart runs a UK-based travel firm called Where Wise Men Fish and has organised tours to the Kola Peninsula in the past.

He said: ‘It is some of the finest – if not the finest – salmon fishing on the planet. Any dedicated salmon fly fisher would aspire to do this sort of trip.’

The Eurocopters are considered safer than the MI-2 ex-Russian military helicopters used elsewhere, Mr Maxwell Stuart said.

He added: ‘They have better helicopters than in some places. The pilots are all very good. They are trained to drop people off under the arc of the blades to avoid things like this happening. It’s a real shock.’

Fly fishing instructor Michael Evans has run trips to the region and said: ‘It remains untouched because it is frozen for three to four months of the year. It’s a completely natural environment.

‘The fishing is phenomenal. It has the most prolific Atlantic salmon fishing in the world.’

Mr Evans, who is based in Kent, said he had spent countless hours in helicopters since he first travelled there in 1994 and praised the standards and safety records.