Australian MH-60R completes first SAR mission
The chopper, which was attached to HMAS Perth, helped to find and spot two survivors from a shipping vessel that had capsized between the islands of Praslin and La Digue, 45 km (28 miles) from Port Victoria.
An Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter, call sign ‘Hellcat’, supported a search and rescue mission in the Seychelles, marking the first time that one of the service’s MH-60Rs has been used in such a mission whilst on operational deployment.
The chopper, which was attached to HMAS Perth, helped to find and spot two survivors from a shipping vessel that had capsized between the islands of Praslin and La Digue, 45 km (28 miles) from Port Victoria. The incident happened late at night, and the Perth had to wait until first light to dispatch the MH-60R to search for the six people who had been in the boat.
Sub-Lieutenant Jeffery Hancock, Perth’s New Zealand exchange officer and officer-of-the-day throughout this mission, said: “It’s days like this that validate the extensive training it takes to be an officer-of-the-day. The MH60R’s sophisticated sensors and communications meant we provided the much needed coordination and search assistance. Hellcat found two survivors, an infant and an adult. The aircrew then directed a local boat to the exact location to complete the recovery.”
The only other survivor managed to swim to shore. The Perth and its crew were thanked by Captain Joachim Valmont, Seychelles maritime safety agency director on behalf of the Seychelles government for the key role it played in the rescue.