Japan searches for 7 missing at sea after navy helicopters lost over Pacific

Seven people were missing on Sunday after an apparent accident overnight involving two Japanese military helicopters off the coast, officials said.

“At this point the cause is unknown, but firstly we do our best to save lives,” Kihara told reporters, adding the helicopters were “doing drills to counter submarines at night”.

The two SH-60K reconnaissance choppers, carrying four crew each, lost contact late on Saturday near Torishima island in the Pacific about 600km (370 miles) south of Tokyo, Kihara told reporters.

One of the eight crew members was recovered from the waters, but his or her condition was unknown.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, Kihara said, adding that officials are prioritising the rescue operation.

Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force deployed eight warships and five aircraft to search for the missing crew, while they have recovered fragments believed to be of the SH-60K, Kihara said.

The helicopters, a twin-engined, multi-mission aircraft designed by Sikorsky and known as Seahawk, were on nighttime anti-submarine training in the waters, Kihara said.

One lost contact at around 10.38pm after sending an emergency signal. The other aircraft lost contact about 25 minutes later.

The SH-60K aircraft is usually deployed on destroyers for anti-submarine missions.

Saturday’s crash comes a year after a Ground Self-Defence Force UH-60 Blackhawk crashed off the southwestern Japanese island of Miyako, leaving all 10 crew members dead.

In January 2022, an Air Self-Defence F-15 fighter plane crashed off the coast of Japan, killing two crew.