Four members of the crew of an Australian army helicopter who were missing after it fell into the water off the coast of Queensland are being sought after.
At 10.30 p.m. on Friday, while participating in joint military drills with the US, an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crashed nearby the Great Barrier Reef. According to reports, a rescue chopper has seen debris close to the Whitsunday Islands.
Crew members missing
There were four aircrew members aboard the helicopter, which was participating in a two-helicopter mission, according to Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles. A search and rescue operation could start right away because another chopper was nearby.
The four aircrew members are still missing as we speak to you, but search and rescue efforts are ongoing. “Our prayers and our thoughts are very much with the aircrew and their families,” he continued, “and the relatives of the four aircrews have been informed of this catastrophe.
- Australian helicopter crew missing; four sought.
- Four aircrew members missing; search and rescue efforts ongoing; prayers and thoughts.
- Australian Taipan faces second trouble this year.
We have high hopes for the search and rescue teams as they conduct their current operations. Talisman Sabre, an annual military exercise involving 13 nations and more than 30,000 soldiers, is now being conducted by Australia and the US around the Australian coast.
This is the second time this year that an Australian Taipan has been in trouble; the first time was in March when one capsized off the coast of the state of New South Wales.
When it encountered problems, the chopper was participating in a counterterrorism training exercise at night. Each member of the crew and the 10 passengers were saved.
