Wreckage of Canadian military helicopter and bodies found off Greek coast

The wreckage of a military helicopter and remains of Canadian Air Force personnel have been found in the Ionian Sea.

A joint Canadian-American search and recovery team discovered the wreckage of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter on Wednesday more than 3 km below the surface between Greece and Sicily.

The remains of the missing air force personnel were found in the vicinity of the wreckage.

“Over the next hours and days, the recovery team will continue their search for both our fallen and additional pieces of the wreckage,” the Department of National Defence said in a brief statement.

“We remain committed to staying on site for as long as necessary.”

Military officials say more information will be provided in the coming days.

Six Canadian service members died April 29 when the Cyclone helicopter crashed while participating in a NATO mission.

Remains of only two of the victims were recovered in the days after the crash – Capt. Brenden Ian MacDonald and Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough.

Four other members, Capt. Kevin Hagen, Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin, Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke, and Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins, were all presumed dead in the crash.

The crash represented the largest loss of life in one day for the Canadian Armed Forces since six Canadian soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan on Easter Sunday 2007.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The helicopter was deployed aboard HMCS Fredericton on a NATO mission patrolling the Mediterranean and Black seas. The military says it was returning to the ship after a training exercise when it crashed.

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report