The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces issued the following statement on his Facebook page:
My heart pains and drowns in sorrow at the tragic loss of some of our finest men in uniform. The scale of this loss to the families, our country, the GDF and to me personally is immeasurable. My trusted friends and comrades, my brothers how could this be? You loved your country above and beyond everything. Country and service were all that mattered to you. I observe with so much honour, the pride you took in putting on your uniform. We became a family bonded in service and brotherhood. I have experienced the love of all of you and it is ripping me apart. My brothers, I embrace your families as mine and will do as much as I can to represent all of you in service to country and family. On kneeling knees, I lift all of you and your families up in prayers and faith. I call upon all of us to hold these men, their families, the GDF and our country in our prayers. Rest in Peace my trusted friends. So many plans we had together. How could this be?
Rest in eternal peace Brigadier Gary Beaton- Project Engineer, GOG; Colonel Michael Shahoud- Commander 1st Infantry Battalion; Lt Col Michael Charles- Pilot; Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome- Commanding Officer Reserve Battalion and Staff Sergeant Jason Khan- 31 Special Forces Squadron you were among the finest we will ever have. I was waiting for all of you to come home. With all my love until we meet again.
Those who survived are Lieutenant Andio Michael Crawford and Corporal Dwayne Jackson. No information was provided on their condition.
The GDF has issued the following press release:
Bell 412 helicopter wreckage found, five officers perish
The Guyana Defence Force , earlier today, entered the second day of its search and rescue operation to locate one of its helicopters which went missing since 1120hours yesterday, Wednesday , December 6, 2023.
A special Forces team was inserted into the area and arrived at the crash site at approximately 1430 hours this afternoon.
The team’s mission was to extract the persons onboard, namely Brigadier (Ret’d) Gary Beaton, Colonel Michael Shahoud, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, Lieutenant Andio Crawford, Staff Sergeant Jason Khan, and Corporal Dwayne Jackson.
However, at around 1447 hours, the team reported that there were only two survivors; Lieutenant Andio Crawford and Corporal Wayne Jackson.
The Chief of Staff, Officers and Ranks of the Guyana Defence Force extends sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who perished. The Guyana Defence Force is committed to providing unwavering support to these families during this unprecedented and challenging period of mourning. These Officers have served and given excellent service in the defence of our country and will be duly recognized.
The Force extends its deepest gratitude to the Search and Rescue team for their tireless efforts, working around the clock to navigate adverse conditions and challenging circumstances. Their dedication and resilience have not gone unnoticed, and we commend them for their selfless service during this trying time.
The next phase of the operation involves the extraction from the area, followed by the commencement of an investigation into the incident.
The Guyana Defence Force will provide further information as necessary.
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