OTTAWA — The search continues Thursday for a Canadian military helicopter that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while participating in a NATO exercise off the coast of Greece.

Greek state broadcaster ERT was first to report that a Canadian military helicopter had gone down in the water between Italy and Greece on Wednesday.

The broadcaster later said one body had been found and five others on board were missing.

“I express my grief over the crash of the Canadian helicopter in the Ionian Sea last night,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday, speaking in parliament.

Mitsotakis said he would contact Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to express his condolences.

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The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) says the Cyclone was deployed on board the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Fredericton.

Cyclone helicopters carry a crew of four, including two pilots, a tactical operator and a sensor operator with space for several passengers.

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They are primarily based on naval vessels and used for hunting submarines, surveillance and search and rescue.

The CAF has not confirmed how many people were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash, but say they have contacted family members for each of the crew.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 30, 2020.

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