The judge whose name is synonymous with offshore safety in Newfoundland and Labrador has passed away.
Robert Wells, who sat in the Legislature during the 1970s and later became a justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland, presided over the inquiry struck following the Cougar Helicopter crash in 2009 which claimed 17 lives.
The smooth-talking lawyer made numerous recommendations on how to improve safety, many of which were implemented by the federal government.
One of his main wishes was that all helicopters operating offshore have 30-minute dry run capability. That would have allowed the flight to reach land. Justice Wells also recommended that Ottawa establish a full search and rescue base in St. John’s.
The former cabinet minister and Rhodes Scholar was 87-years old.
Judge Robert Wells made a tremendous contribution to offshore safety. We will miss him and extend our sympathies to his family and many friends. https://t.co/yZw9bHAtXd
— C-NLOPB (@CNLOPB) October 30, 2020
