2 Coast Guard men killed, 1 missing as copter crashes

NEW DELHI: Two Coast Guard personnel were killed and another is missing after their "Dhruv" advanced light helicopter (ALH) crashed into the sea while attempting a medical evacuation off Porbandar in Gujarat late Monday night.
Coast Guard has deployed four ships, and two aircraft for search and rescue operation. While one crew member was rescued Tuesday morning, the bodies of the co-pilot and an aircrew diver were found later in the day.The captain of the ALH is still to be traced.
The ALH was dispatched 11pm Monday to rescue an injured sailor from the Indian-flagged motor tanker Hari Leela around 45-km off Porbandar coast following a request from the master of the vessel.
"The ALH, with the four-member aircrew, was forced to make an emergency 'hard landing' at sea while the helicopter was approaching the vessel for the evacuation. The chopper wreckage was later found," an official said.
The entire fleet of around 330 twin-engine ALHs in the armed forces had to be grounded a few times last year after four major accidents.