Coast Guard: Pilot of helicopter in Maine emergency water landing was millionaire British lord
By APTuesday, August 4, 2009
British lord, 3 others escape Maine ‘copter scare
DEER ISLE, Maine — The U.S. Coast Guard says the pilot of a helicopter that made an emergency water landing near a tiny island off Maine’s coast is a member of Britain’s House of Lords.
Coast Guard search and rescue coordinator Chris Barry tells the Bangor Daily News that Irvine Laidlaw was at the controls of the helicopter when it went down Saturday afternoon off Little Deer Isle in a bay popular with boaters.
Laidlaw is a Scottish multimillionaire on leave from the House of Lords, Britain’s highest court.
The Coast Guard says the helicopter was en route to Laidlaw’s helipad-equipped yacht when it ran into trouble. A small boat from Laidlaw’s 182-foot Lady Christine yacht retrieved him and his three passengers, who suffered bumps and bruises.
The Coast Guard says the helicopter wasn’t significantly damaged in the incident, which is under investigation.
