LONDON—A tragic incident occurred in the English Channel during a nighttime training exercise, resulting in the death of a Royal Navy member when a helicopter ditched. The U.K. defense ministry confirmed this unfortunate event on Thursday.
The Merlin MK4 helicopter, with a crew of three on board, was conducting night flying exercises with the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth off England’s south coast on Wednesday when it ditched, as stated by the ministry.
The sailor’s family has been notified, and the two other crew members were rescued and taken to a hospital, fortunately without serious injuries.
A comprehensive investigation will be conducted, as per the ministry’s announcement.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and commended the crew of the Queen Elizabeth, especially those involved in the search and rescue operation.
Defense Secretary John Healey, who was at a navy warship in Portsmouth, described the news as “dreadful.”
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“All my thoughts and the thoughts of those in the wider navy I’ve been with today are with the family, the friends and the close colleagues of the one we’ve lost today,” he said.
The Queen Elizabeth, one of the British navy’s aircraft carriers, alongside HMS Prince of Wales, utilizes the Merlin mark-4 helicopter for amphibious battlefield operations to deploy Royal Marine commandos.
