An Algerian Navy AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin helicopter crashed on Wednesday morning, December 16, in the Mediterranean.
The Merlin search and rescue (SAR) helicopter operating by 560 ERS, was filmed on Wednesday crashing off Tipaza bay, and a crew member was killed, local media reported.
The accident occurred at 11:25 a.m. GMT+1, approximately two nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) off the coast of Bouharoun. The town is located 50 kilometers west of the capital Algiers.
In 2011, the Algerian Navy acquired a total of six AgustaWestland AW 101 Merlin for search and rescue missions and long-range medical evacuation. The three-turbine helicopter is capable of carrying eight equipped soldiers or four wounded on stretcher and a doctor.
A similar incident occurred in May 2017, an AW 101 returning from a patrol mission struck a high voltage power line and crashed leaving three dead.