Two "Cougar" helicopters from the Krumovo airbase took off immediately after the signal about the incident with the hit and sunk ship in the Black Sea. The crews were among the first to reach the area to search for people in distress and survivors, bTV reported.
The search lasted an hour and a half. The flight was carried out at low speed and low altitude so that the crews could carefully observe the sea surface and objects around the scene of the incident.
A part of the stricken ship was located from the air. As they approached, debris of different nature from another ship was also noticed.
The search is being conducted in good visibility and calm seas. An oil spill was also noticed in the area, which further complicates monitoring of the water surface.
“We focused on each object in order to possibly find people in distress“, says Major Svetlozar Aleksandrov, an airborne rescuer from the “Krumovo“ airbase. According to him, if survivors are found, the crew's task is to evacuate them.
Short reaction time
During the operation, the flight engineer monitors the safety of the flight and any possible problems with the machine. When flying at low altitude and speed, the reaction time in the event of a failure is limited.
“We have little reaction time and we have to act quickly“, explains Captain Plamen Mitsev, flight engineer from the “Krumovo“ airbase.
Despite the extensive search, no survivors or people in distress have been found. Missions over water are not a daily activity for the crews, but they conduct regular training to be able to react during such operations.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg