Underwater teams search for a helicopter that crashed while fighting a forest fire in western Turkey
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish state media says underwater teams are searching a lake for a helicopter that crashed while fighting a forest fire in western Turkey. Four crew members were aboard the firefighting aircraft when it fell into the waters of the Tahtali dam while battling a blaze in Izmir’s Menderes district over the weekend, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. One pilot, a national of Kyrgyzstan, swam to safety following the accident late Saturday. Three other crew – a Turk and two Kyrgyz – remain unaccounted for. Summer wildfires are common in Turkey, where dry vegetation and high temperatures and winds create ideal conditions for deadly blazes.