The helicopter went down shortly after making a technical stop in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, when it was heading northward towards its base in Gran Canaria. On Friday Spain’s defence ministry said that the three crew had been rescued and were being taken to shore in a Moroccan patrol vessel. The information came from the Moroccan government, but later it was revealed that it was not confirmed. The possibility that the three crewmen had instead been picked up by a fishing vessel began to emerge.