Israeli military helicopter crashes off Haifa coast
A helicopter crashed off the coast of Haifa, northern Israel late on Monday, in an "unusual" incident, and boats are searching for crew members.
A helicopter crashed off the coast of the occupied city of Haifa, Israeli media reported.
Several Israeli media outlets said Monday the incident was ambiguous, "And details cannot be added, as it is not known whether it was caused by human or technical error."
"The helicopter crashed in the water at high speed with its crew still inside," Israeli media said, adding that the three soldiers who were on board were later found.
"The condition of two of them is unknown, as they stayed underwater for a while, and the condition of the third one is moderate."
A helicopter crashed in the sea near the coast of Haifa. Reportedly three souls aboard. pic.twitter.com/vzUw5Ji3b6
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) January 3, 2022
Maariv described the incident as "unusual" and said a large number of troops showed up at the location of the incident.
Israeli Channel 14 clarified that the aircraft belongs to the naval forces, and it was an Atalaf assault helicopter. Reports said three people were aboard.
KAN later said one crew member in the helicopter sustained moderate injuries and two others were rescued from the water but their condition was unknown.
The incident resulted in huge gatherings, with many ambulances and firetrucks coming to the scene. The IOF subsequently cut off the sea route.