Robert Woodhead, 53, is believed to have been swept away by the current after the helicopter he was flying, similar to these, crashed in a river near Lytton, B.C., on Friday. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Mounties in B.C. say a helicopter pilot who was helping fight one of the province's many forest fires is believed to have died when he crashed into a river.

A helmet belonging to Robert Woodhead, 53, has been recovered from the Fraser River near Lytton, but there's still no sign of the pilot, RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said.

Woodhead was operating a Bell 212 with a water bucket Friday afternoon when the aircraft went down.

Another pilot who saw Woodhead crash tried to save him by hovering over the site and lowering his line and bucket into the water but was unsuccessful.

Moskaluk said Mounties have met and spoken with Woodhead's family and told them the pilot likely perished when he was carried away by the swift current.

Woodhead, a resident of Stoney Creek, Ont., had been contracted to work on the 12-square-kilometre Intlpam fire that was first discovered July 25.