Defense Minister Richard Marles said the search and rescue effort changed Monday to a victim recovery operation with no chance that Capt. The helicopter crashed during a nighttime exercise with the United States and other nations near the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. “There was a catastrophic impact on the helicopter when it hit the water,” Marles said. Part of the airframe had been retrieved by Monday but most of the helicopter remained on the seabed, Campbell said. It was the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan since March.

Source: ABC News July 31, 2023 14:16 UTC