The rescue helicopter had been carrying an injured fisherman to hospital when it crashed into the sea about two minutes after takeoff from Dokdo Island, according to an official from the Fire Department. Also onboard at the time were two pilots, one maintenance crew, two rescue crew and one person accompanying the patient.

Divers located the crashed Airbus helicopter the following day in 70 metres of water. Officials recovered the black box from the aircraft and the voice recorder in an effort to identify what happened prior to the crash. The Fire Department official added that maintenance had been carried out on the helicopter in September and October, and test flights had subsequently been flown, during which no safety issues had been identified.

In a statement released to Reuters after the crash, Airbus said: “We are aware that a H225 operated by the South Korean National 119 Rescue Headquarters has been involved in an accident. We stand ready to provide full technical assistance to the customer and authorities as required.”