Four people have died after a helicopter carrying 18 people ditched in the sea following an apparent “catastrophic loss of power”.
The Super Puma L2 aircraft went down at 6.20pm on Friday, around two miles west of Sumburgh airport on Shetland as it was returning to the island from the Borgsten Dolphin platform in the North Sea.
Police in Grampian this morning confirmed that three bodies had been recovered, with efforts under way to recover the body of the fourth person.
They named the victims as Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland; Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin; Gary McCrossan, 59, from Inverness; and George Allison, 57, from Winchester.
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “Our sympathies are very much with the families of those affected at this difficult time. All families have been informed and specially-trained family liaison officers are currently providing them with support.”
Fourteen of the 18 people on board the helicopter were taken to safety during the immediate rescue response.
They were taken to the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick for treatment, including the two members of crew. Five were discharged and nine detained overnight either for observation or suffering from exposure.
A major search operation, involving the coastguard, police, RAF and RNLI, was extended overnight to hunt in the darkness for those who remained missing.
Jim Nicholson, RNLI rescue co-ordinator, said he understands two of the bodies were recovered in the area where the helicopter crashed.
“The bodies came to the surface close to the helicopter wreckage,” he said.
“The helicopter was in a pretty inaccessible place but the lifeboat crew were able to get to them using an inflatable craft.
“It’s fortunate there were not more casualties in a helicopter crash of this kind.
“There appears to have been a catastrophic loss of power which meant the helicopter suddenly dropped into the sea without any opportunity to make a controlled landing.”
The rescue team then spent hours securing the helicopter and moving it to a more accessible location where it is waiting to be loaded on to a vessel.
Mr Nicholson added: “The helicopter is being held in position but no one has been able to board it yet.
“Once the helicopter has been loaded on to the vessel it can be searched. It may be that a body is recovered on the helicopter.”
He praised the efforts of the rescue agencies involved.
“I think it’s been a very long night and I think the crew have been tremendous.”
Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, paid tribute to all those involved in the rescue effort.
He said: “Our thoughts at this difficult time are with the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident. We also hope that those who were injured can make a full and speedy recovery.
“I would like to pay a massive tribute to all of those brave and hard-working individuals involved in the rescue effort and in treating the casualties when they were brought ashore.”
A full investigation is already taking place, he added.
He said in a statement: “It is still too early to know what caused this terrible tragedy, but a full investigation by the relevant authorities is already under way.
“The Scottish Government is in regular contact with all the agencies who have been involved in this rescue and recovery operation through our Resilience process.”
Pat Rafferty, Scottish secretary of the Unite union, said: “Our thoughts are with the deceased and their families. No-one should ever go to work and not come back safely to their family and friends. This is an absolute tragedy.
“This is the fifth major incident in the last four years involving Super Puma helicopters in the UK offshore industry and the second resulting in fatalities. It’s unacceptable and it can’t go on.
“A full investigation must now take place and the industry’s helicopter operators must use every means at their disposal to demonstrate that its fleet is fit for purpose.”
An RNLI spokesman said two of the bodies were recovered by an RNLI lifeboat crew from Lerwick.
One of their lifeboats was also involved in reclaiming wreckage from the scene.
The coastguard previously believed 15 people had been rescued in the aftermath of the incident, but that figure was revised to 14 today.
Earlier, the rescue team, involving the various agencies, managed to move the helicopter to a more accessible position where it could be searched for missing people.
The helicopter, flown by two crew members, was carrying 16 passengers from the oil rig to the island when it ditched.
One of the men rescued, Sam Smith, described how the helicopter suddenly lost power and there was “no time to brace”, it has been reported.
His mother Amanda Smith told Sky News: “He said (the helicopter) seemed to lose power and there was no time to brace – they just dropped into the sea.
“He was by the window so he was able to escape that way as it rolled over.
“He said he had come off better than a lot of people, were his words. It doesn’t seem real.”
The coastguard said the helicopter’s life rafts were found empty and some wreckage from the aircraft had started to wash up at the southern end of Sumburgh.
The helicopter’s operator CHC, said it was flying for oil company Total and that the aircraft lost communication as it approached the airport on the southern tip of Shetland’s main island.
Mark Abbey, regional director of the western North Sea for CHC Helicopter, said: “CHC is deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic accident. Our passengers and our people are always our priority and we are concentrating our efforts on supporting all those involved and their families.
“We would like to thank and praise the emergency services and all organisations involved in the rescue and recovery operation.
“A full investigation into the cause of the incident will, of course, be carried out in conjunction with the Air Accident Investigation Branch and CHC will co-operate fully with all relevant bodies.”
Investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch have been at the scene.