Rescuers fear 11 died in helicopter crash

Up to 11 people were feared dead today after a rig helicopter crashed into the North Sea.

Five people were found within two hours of the crash but were confirmed dead.

Rescue workers searched the crash area 25 miles north east of Great Yarmouth through the night, hunting for the other six who were on board the Sikorsky S76, but no more bodies have been found.

Seven boats, including two rig support vessels and a mixture of lifeboats and coastguard fast-response boats, were scouring a two-mile area where the helicopter came down.

An RAF Sea King helicopter helped in the search last night but was called back to base early this morning as the area on which the hunt was concentrated became smaller.

A spokesman for RAF Kinloss, north Scotland, which is co-ordinating the search, said: "We are working over a relatively small area but have not yet found any of the other passengers and crew.

"The weather has been good and is on our side.

"However, the first five people were found within a couple of hours of the crash.

"As time goes on we have to be realistic about what we are going to find."

The water in the North Sea was relatively warm, around 15C, the spokesman said.

Great Yarmouth coastguards said the helicopter was taking workers from the Shell-owned Santa Fe Monarch gas platform when it ditched at around 7.50pm.

Two people on board the aircraft, operated by Bristow Helicopters, were crew and the rest

passengers.

Bristow’s Sikorsky S76 helicopters based at Norwich, Norfolk, have been suspended pending an investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch, Shell UK Exploration and Production (Shell Expro) said.

A Shell Expro investigation team was also looking into the crash, a spokeswoman said.

The spokesman for RAF Kinloss said it was too early to say what caused the accident, adding: "The weather was quite benign, there was good visibility and light winds.

"There is no indication at this stage that any other aircraft were in the area at the time."

The recovered bodies have been taken back to the Santa Fe Monarch rig as it was closer to the accident scene.