The wreckage of a Coastguard helicopter which crashed off the west coast of Ireland last week has been located.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) said a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) had found it 40m (131ft) down on the sea bed on the east side of Blackrock island.

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, 45, a long-serving search and rescue pilot and mother-of-one, was pulled from the sea on the day of the incident in a critical condition but died later in hospital.

The ROV was unable to confirm if the three missing crew were in the wreckage.

Image: Captain Dara Fitzpatrick died in hospital

An intense search operation off the coast of Co Mayo has so far been unable to find the three other members: Captain Mark Duffy, winchman Ciaran Smith and winch operator Paul Ormsby.


The tail of the Dublin-based Sikorsky S92 helicopter is believed to have hit Blackrock island before it crashed into the sea as it came in to refuel.

It was preparing to fly out to provide cover for another Coastguard helicopter in a mission far out in the Atlantic.

There was no indication of any danger before it vanished from radar, with the crew's final transmission saying: "Shortly landing at Blacksod."

Ireland's AAIU said: "Operations are continuing but are weather dependent."

The helicopter is lying in an area from where signals from its black box flight recorder are being emitted.

The ROV is being deployed from the Irish Lights Vessel Granuaile, which is fitted with a heavy-lifting crane and dynamic positioning technology, allowing it to remain in the same spot on the surface.

Relatives of the missing crew and others involved in the search mission held a candlelight vigil on the shoreline near Blacksod on Tuesday night.