RESCUE: Victor mine team saves stranded balloonists

[caption id="attachment_1003731239" align="aligncenter" width="453"] The Victor mine yielded approximately 8.1 million carats of diamonds during the 10 years and 10 months it operated. (Image: De Beers Group)[/caption] ONTARIO – Last week a crew from De Beers Group’s Victor mine site near Attawapiskat responded to an emergency call to aid downed balloonists 100 km west of the now closed mine. The balloonists, from the United States and Poland, were competing in the 23rd Annual America's Challenge Gas Balloon race headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M. and were racing to Duluth, Minn. The call came from Canadian Forces Base Trenton Rescue Co-ordination centre. Two hot air balloonists were blown off course and forced to make an emergency landing in the muskeg. A helicopter based at the mine site was dispatched and found the balloonists uninjured. They were flown back to the mine where they were given a meal and an opportunity to shower before joining a contractor charter flight to Timmins, Ont. "We are extremely proud of our Victor mine team for their quick and professional action to what could have been a very serious situation," said Al Collins, superintendent asset services who co-ordinated the support from the mine. "Weather in the remote northern region can be quite harsh this time of the year, but fortunately everything went well and we have a happy ending." De Beers’ Victor diamond mine ceased production at the end of May 2019 due to the exhaustion of reserves. Please visit De Beer’s Canadian website.