Five missing members aboard crashed helicopter presumed dead, says Canadian military

Five members of the Canadian Armed Forces onboard the chopper which crashed off the coast of Greece earlier this week are officially presumed dead, the military said in a statement.

"The missing five members who were aboard the aircraft are now officially considered missing and presumed deceased," the military said in a statement.

One member, Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough, a Marine Systems Engineering Officer had already been confirmed deceased.

"Today, the search and rescue efforts of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) officially transitioned into search and recovery efforts, following Wednesday's tragic accident involving a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CH-148 Cyclone helicopter in the Mediterranean Sea," the statement, issued by National Defense / Canadian Armed Forces, read.

Four Royal Canadian Air Force members and two Royal Canadian Navy members were aboard the chopper serving with a NATO naval task force. It crashed in international waters between Greece and Italy on Wednesday.

( With inputs from ANI )