All 18 people aboard a helicopter which ditched in the North Sea are safe following a major multi-agency search and rescue operation involving RAF aircraft, the MOD can confirm.
Reports were received at around 1843hrs this evening, 18 February 2009, that a SUPER PUMA helicopter with 18 persons on board had ditched whilst making an approach to an offshore facility located approximately 120 miles East of Aberdeen.
A major rescue operation swung into action, coordinated by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency at the Aberdeen Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, and supported by the Royal Air Force.
Three helicopters and one fixed-wing aircraft were involved.
Rescue 51, the duty Search and Rescue NIMROD long-range maritime patrol aircraft from RAF Kinloss was scrambled and is was orbiting overhead the ditching location by around 1930hrs.
Rescue 137, a RAF Sea King from RAF Lossiemouth in Northern Scotland, and two civilian helicopters provided by Bond Helicopters, were on North Sea duties and travelled to the ditching location to commence search and rescue operations.
The sea state was reported to be 2 to 3 metre swells, with light winds and visibility of approx 1-2 kilometres in the vicinity.
One of the helicopters operated by Bond Helicopters winched 3 survivors onboard, and the remaining 15 survivors were taken onboard by a rig rescue vessel.
By 2045hrs, just over 2 hours after the first reports were received, all 18 passengers and crew had been rescued alive and in reasonably good condition.
In the short-term, all 18 survivors will be transferred to a nearby oil rig before being flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for more detailed medical checks.
Speaking of the joint rescue effort, Wing Commander Peter Lloyd, Chief of Staff of the RAF Search and Rescue Force said:
“This is the best possible outcome we could have hoped for.
“Tonight’s operation was a great piece of multi-agency work and I’d like to thank the duty staff of both the Coastguard and RAF Rescue Coordination Centres for their superb, joint efforts and all of the civilian and RAF aircrew and the personnel manning the rig rescue vessels for their rapid responses tonight.
“Their joint actions have brought what could so easily have been a tragedy to what, happily, has been a swift and successful conclusion.”
Source: RAF
