LONDON — A member of the UK Royal Navy personnel has died after a helicopter ditched in the Channel during a night-flying exercise.
There were three crew members on board at the time of the incident and two of them were rescued and taken to hospital, the Ministry of Defence said.
The Merlin helicopter crashed off the coast of Dorset on Wednesday night during the training exercise with the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, according to the Royal Navy.
An investigation into the cause of the incident is taking place.
The family of the deceased, who has not been named, have been informed.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, posting a message on X, said: “Deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of a member of the Royal Navy.
“My thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this painful time.”
Starmer paid tribute to the ship’s company “particularly those involved in the search-and-rescue operation”.
Defence Secretary John Healey has described the news as “dreadful”.
He told the PA news agency while on a visit to HMS Diamond in Portsmouth: “Dreadful news. Truly dreadful news.
“I use dreadful because this is what everyone connected to the armed forces (dreads), news of personnel in service dying.
“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.”
In a statement, the Royal Navy said:…
