There were four people on the helicopter when it caught a gust of wind and began to plummet into the Indian Ocean.
“He has always had great stamina in sport, and he’s kept up this rhythm as minister, just like a 30-year-old,” Ravoavy said.
Another passenger, air force mechanic Jimmy Laitsara, also survived the crash and swam to shore, news agencies reported. Rescue workers Wednesday recovered the body of Col. Olivier Andrianambinina, director of security for the prime minister, according to the Associated Press. There were four people on the helicopter, including the pilot, when it caught a gust of wind and began to plummet toward the ocean, Gelle said.“Not having a life jacket, I unfastened the seat and used it as a buoy. I stayed calm and took off anything heavy I was carrying like my boots and belt. I did everything to stay alive,” he said.Gelle, in a separate video taken at a hospital, recounted how he battled the waves as he neared the shore but worried that he was too exhausted to stay afloat.
On Wednesday, the death toll from that disaster rose to 83, Reuters reported. Fifty survivors were found.
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