The bodies of tourists who disappeared after the Mi-8 crash were found in the Kuril Lake. The question of raising them to the surface is being resolved.

Several bodies of tourists were found in deep water in the Kuril Lake next to the body of a helicopter that crashed in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve in Kamchatka. About it informs Interfax with reference to the press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.

According to the department, 5 thousand square meters were surveyed in the last 24 hours. m of the Kuril Lake water area, 26.9 thousand sq. m of the bottom, as well as with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles 5 sq. km of territory. The search involves the forces and means of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, inspectors of the Kronotsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve, and military personnel of the Ministry of Defense.

On the morning of August 12, a Mi-8 helicopter fell into Lake Kuril. There were 16 people on board: 13 passengers, including a child, and three crew members. Six passengers and two crew members were able to get out of the helicopter under water and swim to the surface from a depth of 9 meters, where they were helped by the reserve staff. Eight more people, including the crew commander, were allegedly killed.

The water temperature in the lake is now no higher than plus 5-6 degrees.

Four survivors were taken to the regional hospital in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Two more are in intensive care. The doctors assessed the condition of one of them as grave.

Viktor Strelkin, who escaped the crash, said that he did not have time to unfasten the seat belts of the child sitting next to him, the press service of the regional government said. According to him, he slept little before the helicopter excursion, and fell asleep during the flight, because in poor visibility conditions nothing could be seen through the windows.

“I felt what had happened only when the water hit my face in a stream. It’s hard to talk about it, there was a boy sitting next to me, the son of my friend. He was fastened with seat belts, and I did not have time to pull him out due to the fact that I woke up late and was sleepy. I only had time to unfasten myself, after which I was immediately taken upstairs in the helicopter cockpit, where there was a piece of air on top, ”he said. Strelkin managed to inhale, after which the helicopter immediately filled with water.