One Canadian military member is dead while five others are missing after a helicopter crashed off the coast of Greece, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed on Thursday.
Four Royal Canadian Air Force members and two Royal Canadian Navy members were aboard the chopper serving with a NATO naval task force. It crashed in international waters between Greece and Italy on Wednesday.
"Yesterday, a Royal Canadian Navy helicopter on a NATO mission carrying six members of the Canadian armed forces went down with all hands in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Greece. They were flying from the Canadian naval frigate HMCS Fredericton - home port of Halifax - as part of Operation REASSURANCE. One casualty was recovered and five are missing," Trudeau told reporters, according to Sputnik.
Local media reports cited the Canadian Prime Minister as saying that all of them are heroes. "Each of them will leave a void that cannot be filled".
According to Chief of the Defense Staff Jonathan Vance, the body of marine systems engineering officer Sub. Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough has been recovered.
Vance said the crash's debris area is large and the exact position of the wreckage is not yet known.
( With inputs from ANI )