From Niagara This Week:
It’s around 5 p.m., and Ruedi Hafen is taking off from the launch pad at Niagara Helicopters for one of his last flights of the day Saturday, Feb. 24.
It was a clear, sunny afternoon, and he has one passenger with him, Karen Cumberland — a friend he calls a “big fan of Niagara Helicopters.”
The two were chatting and preparing for their scenic flight, but as they ascended over Victoria Avenue, Hafen saw thick black smoke escaping to the sky above the Canadian National Rail building located down the street from his business.
“I could see smoke everywhere — by the windows, by the roof. Everywhere. There were no flames, but just thick, black smoke.”
He saw a trail of footprints in the snow approaching the rear of the building, so he decided to circle back to his base and pick up a photographer to take pictures of the scene to assist with the fire department’s investigation.
Hafen, chief pilot and president of Niagara Helicopters, has been working hand in hand with the city’s fire services and emergency rescue personnel for more than 20 years.