Quebec manhunt on for fugitives who fled jail in helicopter
Quebec provincial police are searching for two prisoners and an accomplice after they escaped from a Saint-Jérôme, Que., jail in a helicopter, according to Radio-Canada.
Authorities say the prison break took place around 2:30 p.m. ET.
The helicopter hovered over the building and the escapees climbed on board with the help of a rope ladder, Radio-Canada reporter Jean-Philippe Ouimet said.
Police have identified the two inmates as Benjamin Hudon-Barbeau and Danny Provencal.
Authorities say the escapees flew to a wooded area near Entrelacs, a few kilometres northeast of Saint-Jérôme.
Radio-Canada reports the search is taking place near Argile Lake. Police have set up a perimeter around the area and are asking for reinforcements from other police forces.
The Sûreté du Québec said they have found the helicopter and were interviewing the pilot.
The pilot was taken to hospital to be treated for shock, Radio-Canada said.
A Montreal radio station says it received a call from a man claiming to be one of the two inmates.
The man told 98.5 FM he was "ready to die."
The Saint-Jérôme detention centre, located some 60 kilometres northwest of Montreal, experienced a mini-riot by about a dozen prisoners a little over a month ago.
In that incident, police had been asked to secure the outside of the prison, which holds about 480 inmates, and
