Was Attempting To Circumnavigate The Globe In An R22

A Russian pilot who was attempting to fly around the world in a Robinson R22 had the attempt cut short when the aircraft went down in the frigid waters of the Davis Strait. But pilot Sergey Ananov survived the ordeal by climbing into a life raft and the managing to get onto an ice floe where he was rescued by the Canadian military.

Global News reports that Ananov was about halfway between Iqualuit and Greenland when he was forced to ditch the two-place helicopter Saturday afternoon due to a mechanical failure. By the time the coast guard vessel Pierre Radisson located him, he had been on the ice for about 32 hours, according to Rear Admiral John Newton.

Admiral Newton said that Ananov, 49, was able to survive because he was wearing his survival suit when the aircraft went down, and the life raft was close at hand. “It’s wet, it’s cold, he has some polar bear neighbours who are very interested in his whereabouts. He has quite a survival story,” Newton told Global News.

Newton also said that Ananov fired flares, but poor visibility prevented rescue aircraft from spotting them. Early Monday morning, the weather cleared enough for the a flare to be seen by the crew of the Pierre Radisson.

(Image from Facebook)

FMI: www.facebook.com/sergey.ananov?ref=br_rs