18 Souls

On March 12, 2009 a helicopter carrying workers to offshore oil production platforms in the North Atlantic off the coast of Newfoundland crashed into the ocean. Seventeen of the people on board the helicopter perished that day. One survived. Much has been learned since then about helicopter safety, thanks to an investigation into the cause of the crash and a public inquiry. But little has been said about the 17 people who lost their lives on that day 10 years ago. The families are now custodians of their legacies. In 18 Souls: The Loss & Legacy of Cougar Flight 491, families and friends speak candidly—in many cases, for the first time—about what was really lost and what could have been, had fate been kind that day.