Get the Top, Local stories delivered to your inbox! Click here to join the daily Vernon Matters newsletter.
Kelowna Law Courts (Image Credit: Courthouse Libraries B.C.)
By Liam Verster
Crash into Shuswap River

Trial for helicopter crash case to go in 2027

Apr 21, 2026 | 6:00 AM

The accused in a serious helicopter crash three years ago will be on trial next April.

In August of 2023, a helicopter crashed into the Shuswap River near Mable Lake, east of Enderby, injuring three passengers and killing a therapy dog.

The alleged pilot fled the scene, but police later tracked down and arrested Vincent Porteous, who was charged with:

  • Criminal negligence causing bodily harm
  • Operating a conveyance in a manner dangerous tot he public and causing bodily harm
  • Failing to offer assistance to an injured person
  • Operating a helicopter without a license or permit
  • Operating a helicopter without a valid certificate or registration

The B.C. Prosecution Service said the trial of this case would be held at the Kelowna Law Courts starting April 19, 2027, and that it was expected to take two weeks to conclude.

Crash into Shuswap River
Trial for helicopter crash case to go in 2027
1h ago
First-Degree Murder
Pair charged in 2016 West Kelowna murder
16h ago
Emegrency Preparedness
Workshop to help prepare older adults ahead of summer heat, fire season
18h ago

In the meantime, Porteous will be due in court for a pre-trial conference on November 3. As of time of publication he was out of custody on a Release Order.

by Liam Verster
View Comments

Other Matters

Sports Facility
New cricket pitch open in Vernon
Bowlers and batsmen have a new facility to play at in the North Okanagan.The City of Vernon officially opened the new Vernon Cricket Field at the DND Grounds Sunday, April 19.The city said this was a special moment as Vernon's first cricket team dates back to 1908, and that having the new pitch reflects a revival of a ...
1h ago
Read More
Crash into Shuswap River
Trial for helicopter crash case to go in 2027
The accused in a serious helicopter crash three years ago will be on trial next April.In August of 2023, a helicopter crashed into the Shuswap River near Mable Lake, east of Enderby, injuring three passengers and killing a therapy dog.The alleged pilot fled the scene, but police later tracked down and arrested Vincent ...
1h ago
Read More
First-Degree Murder
Pair charged in 2016 West Kelowna murder
Two people have been charged in a decade-old West Kelowna murder.On January 6, 2016, the body of 22-year old Tura McCarty was found in the driver's seat of his 1999 Jeep Cherokee along a rural stretch of Bear Creek Road in West Kelowna.The Southeast District Major Crime Unit was tasked with investigating the case, lead...
16h ago
Read More
RCMP breakthrough
Murder charges a decade after McCarty killing
Two people have been charged with a local murder, over ten years after it happened.In January, 2016, 22-year-old Tura Stephen McCarty was found dead in the driver's seat of his 1999 Jeep Cherokee on a rural stretch of Bear Creek Road in West Kelowna.The RCMP's Southeast District Major Crime Unit confirmed 33-year-old H...
16h ago
Read More
Emegrency Preparedness
Workshop to help prepare older adults ahead of summer heat, fire season
The Okanagan could be facing another hot and dry summer, so a local agency is taking steps to prepare older residents for potentially high-risk scenarios.NexusBC will host an Emergency Preparedness Workshop for Older Adults on May 5.The workshop, falling in Emergency Preparedness Week which has the theme of Be Prepared...
18h ago
Read More
Seeking Info
Vandalized water meters in Kelowna cause thousands in damage
Police are investigating after several agricultural water meters were vandalized in southeast Kelowna, causing thousands of dollars in damage.The City of Kelowna says the incidents happened between April 8 and 9 at multiple locations, where water meters located near property boundaries were deliberately damaged.Officia...
20h ago
Read More
Request for change
Kelowna council to consider changes to commercial boat launch fees
Kelowna city council is being asked Monday to approve changes to its commercial boat launch licensing program, including a new fee structure and bylaw amendments aimed at improving compliance and simplifying administration.A report going to council recommends updates to the Parks and Public Spaces Bylaw and related enf...
20h ago
Read More
Naming Contest
Contest running to name a new milfoil harvester
The Okanagan Basin Water Board wants help from the public naming a new machine.The OBWB said it had a new milfoil harvester that will be used to clear the invasive plant from lakes across the Okanagan.With the launch of the new piece of equipment, the OBWB decided to crowdsource names for the harvester, saying it could...
20h ago
Read More
Raising Awareness & Funds
Hike for Hospice to support end-of-life care
People will be lacing up their sneakers and boots to hit the trails for a good cause.North Okanagan Hospice Society (NOHS) will host its Hike for Hospice on May 3 at Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.The hike aims to bring people together and raise awareness as well as money for hospice and palliative care offered through...
Apr 20, 2026
Read More

What Matters

Crash into Shuswap River
Trial for helicopter crash case to go in 2027
1h ago
First-Degree Murder
Pair charged in 2016 West Kelowna murder
16h ago
Emegrency Preparedness
Workshop to help prepare older adults ahead of summer heat, fire season
18h ago
Reality Check - Life Without a Home
Pair of Vernonities to spend days on the street to raise homelessness awareness, outreach funds
Apr 19, 2026
Housing Starts Report
Housing construction rebounded in Vernon, slowed in Kelowna, B.C.
Apr 17, 2026