◀ anchor ▶
This morning, a marine police helicopter crashed in the waters southwest of Marado, Jeju.
Two of the four crew members died and one disappeared, and a search operation is ongoing.
Reporter Park Hye-jin reports.
◀ Report ▶
At about 1:30 this morning, a marine rescue helicopter belonging to the Namhae Regional Maritime Police Agency’s aviation unit crashed 370 kilometers southwest of Marado, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do.
Among the four crew members on the helicopter, 51-year-old Inspector Jeongmo, who is the first co-pilot of the Air Corps, and Inspector Hwang, a former investigator, were killed, and a 42-year-old mechanic, Inspector Chamo, disappeared.
The captain, 47-year-old Inspector Choi Mo, was rescued by a security ship and transferred to a hospital in Jeju city.
Inspector Choi suffered fractures to his arms and legs, but it is said that there is no life-threatening injury.
The accident helicopter took off yesterday morning to help rescue the Korean crew members of the tugboat Kyoto 1, which was wrecked in Taiwanese waters.
It is known that the helicopter dropped six special rescue workers off the patrol ship 3012 and crashed within 30 seconds of taking off to return to Busan.
The accident helicopter is an American Sikorsky S-92 model introduced in 2014, and it is a large helicopter that can carry 21 people.
[박제수/제주지방해양경찰청 경비구조과장]
“As soon as the current fuselage is salvaged, the accident investigation committee will conduct an accurate investigation through a black box, etc., and then announce it.”
The Coast Guard has mobilized about 10 ships, including four aircraft, naval warships, and private fishing boats, to search for the missing crew around the accident area.
However, it is said that the operation is having difficulties due to the high waves in the accident area.
The Coast Guard plans to investigate the exact cause of the accident as soon as the rescued captain’s condition improves.
This is Park Hye-jin from MBC News.
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