A UNITED Nations helicopter crashed into the sea off the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, late on Wednesday, killing at least one of the seven people on board, a UN representative said. Margaret Novicki, representative for Unamsil, the UN mission in Sierra Leone, said the helicopter “crashed in the sea shortly after taking off from the Mammy Yoko helipad” adjoining the UN headquarters at around 8:00 pm local time. “All the seven people on board were from Unamsil and were flying to Lungi,” Freetown’s airport which lies across the bay, she said. Novicki said one body had been recovered, but gave no details of those on board the MI-8 helicopter. However, an official at Freetown mortuary said three bodies had been sent from the crash site. There were no signs of survivors on Thursday. Mohammed, a fisherman, who was part of a rescue team of divers, said he was on Freetown’s Lumley beach when the accident occurred. “We could see the pilot. He had just taken off and was flying really low. We saw him gesticulating frantically and then there was a loud bang and the helicopter was in flames before it hit the water.” – AFP