Royal Navy service member dies after helicopter ditches in Channel

A member of the Royal Navy has died after a helicopter ditched while conducting night-flying exercises with HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The navy said: “It is with great sadness that we must report a member of the Royal Navy has died following a training incident last night.

“Our thoughts are with the family – who have been informed, and all those affected at this sad time. A full investigation will take place.”

There were three people on board the Merlin Mk4 helicopter when it ditched into the Channel near Dorset, Sky News has been told. HM Coastguard assisted in the rescue operation.

There were no other fatalities or serious injuries, the navy added, while the other two crew members were taken to hospital.

The family of the deceased, who has not been named, have been informed.

Aircraft tracking showed two Merlin helicopters from Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton were operating off the coast of Dorset last night, with both airborne at 8.40pm but disappearing by 8.52pm from tracking.

At around 9.25pm, a search and rescue helicopter from Solent Airport arrived and at around 10.15pm a military helicopter joined the search.

Two other helicopters took part in the search efforts at around 10.30pm – one from Portland and another from Cornwall.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “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.”

In a post on X, he paid tribute to HMS Queen Elizabeth ship’s company, “particularly those involved in the search and rescue operation”.

The accident happening at night will have complicated rescue effort

Sean Bell

Military analyst

@BellusUK

The tragic loss of a Royal Navy crew member last night while on a training exercise will have hit this highly professional and tight-knit community very hard.

The Merlin Mk4 helicopter is a modern platform with an excellent safety record to date and the crew is extremely well-trained and immensely professional in their specialist role.

Operating military aircraft at night over the sea is immensely challenging, but the crew will have spent hours in high-tech simulators to hone their operational skills and ability to respond to any unexpected in-flight failure.

Merlin helicopters do not have ejection seats, so the crew have to land the platform in the event of a major emergency; however, when a helicopter ditches in the sea, it often rolls upside down.

As a result, the crew – and indeed any passengers in military helicopters operating over the sea – do extensive training in what the Royal Navy calls the “Dunker”.

This enables the crew to practice how to get out of the platform in the event of ditching. Having conducted this training on several occasions it is extremely effective – and scary.

However, the accident last night led to the tragic loss of a Royal Navy aviator.

It is also worth noting any accident at night complicates the rescue effort, and it is a great testament to the professionalism of the wider team the rest of the crew were recovered without incident.

Although there will inevitably be conjecture about the circumstances of this loss, the military will conduct an extremely thorough and comprehensive investigation to identify exactly what happened and what needs to be done to avoid such a devastating loss occurring again.

Defence Secretary John Healey has described the news of the death of a Royal Navy member of personnel as “dreadful”.

During a visit to HMS Diamond in Portsmouth, he said: “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.”

First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said: “I am intensely saddened by the tragic loss of one of our Royal Navy personnel, following the incident in the English Channel last night.

“It is a huge shock to us all in the naval community, and our thoughts and condolences go out to the family at this time.”

The Merlin Mk4 helicopter is used by the Royal Marines and has been deployed globally to provide disaster relief.

According to the Royal Navy, it is considered the “world’s most advanced amphibious battlefield helicopter” and can carry up to 24 troops.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is described on the navy’s website as “the largest and most powerful vessel ever constructed for the Royal Navy” which is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft.

It is understood the carrier is still working at sea.

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