A helicopter belonging to the Customs and Excise Police (Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera) came down in the sea in front of a beach off Sotogrande yesterday.
Customs Chopper on Exercise
The helicopter had been involved in a chase when it hit the sea just after midnight (00:30h) Sunday morning. One of the 3-man crew, the electronics operator, lost his life in the crash.
Although the crew immediately inflated their life jackets, the third man became trapped inside the cabin when it sank.
The two survivors were quickly picked up by a Customs launch which had also been involved in the interception of a pleasure craft that was suspected of carrying drugs onboard.
The suspects took advantage of the confusion to speed off and escape.
The body of the crash victim was recovered and taken to the morgue in Algeciras. The pilot and co-pilot are in good shape, given the circumstances.
(News: Sotogrande, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)