Wreckage is missing Royal Navy helicopter

It has been confirmed that the wreckage found off the Cornish coast is that of the missing Royal Navy Lynx helicopter.

A remote control submersible was used to examine and identify the debris located on the seabed. This morning an RNLI crew reported finding pieces of wreckage and a slick of aviation fuel at a location 20 miles off the Cornish coast. The lifeboat was searching an area near Lizard Point where the helicopter was believed to have gone down as it was conducting a search off the coast of Cornwall.

It is understood that no trace of the four crew aboard the helicopter when it crashed has yet been found.

The initial search operation began when two Royal Naval ratings heard what they believed to be cries for help coming from the water 19 miles east of Lizard Point at around 5pm on Wednesday. As all crew were accounted for aboard the two warships HMS Montrose and HMS St Albans, they requested Falmouth Coastguard to assist in the search.

Coastguard requested the launch of the Falmouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat to the scene and a rescue helicopter from Royal Naval Air Station Coldrose was sent to the scene.

But communication with another Royal Naval Lynx helicopter from Yeovilton in Somerset with four on board which joined the search was reported to have been lost after 7pm on Wednesday evening.

A major search co-ordinated by HMS Illustrious resumed in the area this morning at first light. Several warships, two helicopters and the Falmouth all-weather Lifeboat assisted in the search operation. Teams also searched portions of the mainland shore closest to the area.

The relatives of the missing crew had earlier been informed of the suspected ditching of the Royal Navy helicopter in the area.

(SP)