B.C. man who allegedly crashed helicopter, fled scene charged

A helicopter crashed into a shallow part of B.C.'s Shuswap River in August of 2023.

A man who allegedly crashed a helicopter in the B.C. Interior and fled the scene – leaving the injured occupants behind – is facing a number of criminal charges, according to police.

The helicopter crashed into a shallow section of the Shuswap River, near Enderby, on Aug. 12, 2023. At the time, the RCMP said the pilot of the chopper was “unaccounted for” and that three passengers had been taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A therapy dog – a chihuahua named Chalupa – died in the crash, according to Castanet.

In an update on the case Thursday, the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP detachment said a 16-month-long investigation culminated in criminal charges and charges under the federal Aeronautics Act.

Vincent Matthew Porteous, 38, has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, operating a conveyance in a manner dangerous to the public causing bodily harm, and failing to offer assistance to an injured person. Additionally, he was charged with operating a helicopter without a license or permit and operating a helicopter without a valid certificate of registration.

“As the matter is now before the courts no additional information will be released,” Thursday’s statement from Mounties said.

Publicly available court records show that Porteous was released on $5,000 bail and is next due in court March 4.