Canadian Military Helicopter, Participating in Exercises “involved in incident” off Greek Coast

At least one person is deadafter a Canadian military CH-148 Cyclone helicopter crashed in the Ionian sea between Italy and Greece early Thursday morning while taking part in an exercise as part of a NATO operation in the Mediterranean.

"Contact was lost with the aircraft as it was participating in Allied exercises off the coast of Greece," the Canadian Armed Forces said in a brief statement.

According to local Greek media, the helicopter crashed in international waters about 80 kilometers off the island of Cephalonia. An Italian and Turkish frigate were reported to be taking part in the search and rescue operation, finding debris and one body. 

Another five crew members are said to still be missing.

TORONTO -- A Canadian NATO helicopter has been involved in an incident off the coast of Greece and a search and rescue mission is currently underway.

In a pair of tweets, Canadian Armed Forces Operations said it lost contact with the CH-148 Cyclone, which had been deployed onboard the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Fredericton, and “was participating in Allied exercises off the coast of Greece” as part of Operation Reassurance.

"Operation Reassurance: The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has members serving on Operation REASSURANCE in Central and Eastern Europe. They are there as part of NATO assurance and deterrence measures. These measures aim to reinforce NATO’s collective defence. It also shows the strength of Allied solidarity"

The military said it could not provide further information at this time because the situation was evolving, but the Armed Forces later confirmed in another pair of tweets that they have contacted all primary family members of those who were on board the helicopter, and that "search efforts continue with our

The CAF confirms we have contacted all primary family members of those who were on board the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter that was involved in an accident in the Mediterranean Sea. pic.twitter.com/5wVjRjboCl

— Canadian Armed Forces Operations (@CFOperations) April 30, 2020

In a statement, Col. Juanita Chang, chief of Public Affairs for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, confirmed also the incident, but offered few additional details.
“I confirm there has been an incident involving a helicopter from a ship under NATO command,” Chang said in the statement. “There is currently a search and rescue operation being conducted and national notifications taking place. “