Military chopper crashes near Hamilton Island: four missing

AUSTRALIAN ARMY NH INDUSTRIES MRH 90   A40-002 (MSN 1079)

Four people are presumed dead after a late-night military helicopter exercise went terribly wrong.
The Australian Army helicopter, an MRH 90, was involved in the Exercise Talisman Sabre military exercise, and crashed into the ocean near Hamilton Island in Queensland at about 11pm Friday night.

Search efforts were delayed on Friday night because of bad weather, but the wreckage was found washed in the water south of the Hamilton Island Shute Harbour.

Specialist divers will join rescue personnel today to search for air crew onboard the Australian Army helicopter.
Debris from the MRH90 Taipan was hauled from the water off Lindeman Island yesterday afternoon.
It's understood the crew are all from Sydney and based at the Holsworthy Barracks.

"Defence can confirm there were four people on board at the time of the incident and sadly at this stage those personnel have yet to be found," Hill said.
"It is the defence's priority to look after those families, their members, their teammates and those that know them.

Talisman Sabre, is the ADF’s biggest training exercise, involving more than 31,000 soldiers, marines, sailors and pilots from across 13 countries.