One person was killed, another injured and 16 are missing after a helicopter ferrying workers to an oil-rig crashed off the Canadian coast.
The helicopter was flying from Saint John's, Newfoundland, to the Hibernia offshore oil platform yesterday when it plunged into the North Atlantic some 55km southeast of Saint John's.
It had started to turn around because of technical problems when the pilot sent out a distress call, said Major Denis McGuire of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax.
One person was plucked from the ocean by a second charter helicopter and rushed to a hospital in Saint John's, and a body was recovered.
Two life rafts were also found empty at the scene.
The helicopter overturned and quickly sank 120m.
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in the House of Commons the helicopter's downing was a tragic accident, and vowed a search for the remaining 16 passengers and crew would continue.
As he spoke, two military aircraft and two coast guard vessels were preparing to search for survivors.
Weather at the time of the accident was mild.
