Coastguard search as helicopter with 5 on board goes missing over Irish Sea

A HELICOPTER with five people on board went missing yesterday over the Irish Sea.

The privately-owned Twin Squirrel is believed to have left Milton Keynes on Wednesday, travelling to Dublin.

A spokesman for the Coastguard said it was co-ordinating a search operation in the Caernarfon Bay area of North Wales.

Radar contact with the red helicopter was lost yesterday afternoon and the Coastguard was notified to start a search at 4.15pm, the spokesman added. Duty commander Peter Davies said last night: ‘We have established a search plan between Caernarfon Bay and the shore of Dublin and currently have two Coastguard helicopters searching the route.

‘We are in the process of contacting all the vessels in the Irish Sea that were in the vicinity around midday and we are continuing Mayday broadcast action for any vessels currently in the area to contact us if they have any further information.

‘At the moment we are appealing to these vessels and to the public that if they have seen a Twin Squirrel red helicopter to please contact 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’

A Coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon was joined in the search by one from St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan.

The sea in the area was described as ‘moderate to rough’, with occasional rain and fog. Visibility was said to be ‘occasionally very poor’.