The Japanese rescue helicopter with six people on board fell into the sea in the southwest of Japan on Sunday, the coastal guard said. Three of them, including the patient transported by the helicopter, died, reports, according to AP, TASR.
The pilot, a helicopter and nurse mechanics were saved by the Japanese Coast Guard during the day after they found them in the water holding the inflatable life wheels. All three were conscious, but suffered from hypothermia, as their body temperature dropped abnormally. The bodies of the doctor, patient and her nurse later were transported from the accident scene of the Japanese Air Force.
According to the Coast Guard, the rescue helicopter was heading for a hospital in Fukuoka from Nagasaki airport. The cause of the accident remains unclear. The Japanese authorities sent two aircraft and three ships to the rescue operation.
