A privately owned twin squirrel red helicopter with five people on board believed to have left Milton Keynes earlier today on route to Dublin, via Caernarfon Ba has gone missing.
The Coastguard is currently coordinating a search and rescue operation in the Caernarfon Bay area.
Earlier this afternoon, Distress and Diversion lost radar contact of the helicopter, and after contacting all airbases with no sightings or radio contact, the UK Coastguard were notified to start a search operation.
The UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Caernarfon has carried out an extensive land based search of fields and airfields within the Caernarfon area and the helicopter based at St Athan has joined the search.
A Mayday Relay broadcast has been issued to all vessels passing through the Irish Sea route to contact the Coastguard if they have seen anything.
The North Wales Police have also been notified of the search operation.
UK Coastguard Duty Commander Peter Davies said: “We have established a search plan between Caernarfon Bay and the shore of Dublin and currently have two Coastguard helicopters searching the route.
“We are in the process of contacting all the vessels in the Irish Sea that were in the vicinity around midday and we are continuing Mayday broadcast action for any vessels currently in the area to contact us if they have further information.
“At the moment we are appealing to these vessels and to the public that if they have seen a twin squirrel red helicopter to please contact 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”
Additional source Mirror
