31-7-2023 (SYDNEY) Authorities have abandoned hope of finding survivors after a military helicopter crashed into the sea during war games over the weekend, as announced by Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Monday (Jul 31).
Initially, rescuers held on to slim hopes of locating the four crew members alive, but those hopes were shattered when “significant wreckage” from the aircraft was discovered, stated Marles.
The helicopter was participating in the large-scale Talisman Sabre exercise, which involves 30,000 military personnel from Australia, the United States, and several other nations.
During a nighttime operation, it plunged into the waters near the Whitsunday Islands.
“The impact was catastrophic, and that is one of the reasons why we are now shifting from a search and rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Marles informed reporters.
Military forces from at least three nations, along with the police, had been engaged in the search for the crew of the MRH-90 Taipan, which crashed late Friday night in the subtropical waters off the northeast coast of Australia.
Marles expressed deep sympathy for the families of the lost crew members, stating, “The loss of these four men is as significant and meaningful as the loss of anyone who has worn our nation’s uniform.
