GDF team reaches crash site, body of pilot recovered

Days after being mobilised, a search and rescue team from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has reached the crash site of the Air Services Limited aircraft and recovered the body of the pilot.

The deceased has been identified as Captain Ryder Castillo, a Nicaraguan national. He was the lone occupant of the Cessna 208 aircraft bearing registration 8R-YAC.

The aircraft, owned by Air Services Limited (ASL), went down on Friday, April 10, after departing Mahdia en route to Imbaimadai.

In a statement on Monday, the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) confirmed that members of the GDF Special Forces successfully reached the crash site and recovered the pilot’s body. The team is now making preparations for extraction from the area.

The GDF had earlier confirmed that a ground team from its 31 Special Forces Squadron was deployed into the remote, heavily forested location.

Sources said the operation has been challenging due to difficult terrain.

In response, the GDF mobilised key assets, including a Bell 429 helicopter equipped with a hoist and specialised search and rescue capabilities, along with a Skyvan aircraft to support the mission.

The Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and the Guyana Defence Force have extended condolences to the pilot’s family and the wider aviation community.

Investigations into the crash are ongoing.