Human remains have been found after searchers located the sunken cockpit of a crashed Taipan helicopter carrying four Australian defence personnel off Queensland.
A remotely-operated underwater vehicle reached the wreckage of the cockpit on the sea floor in the Whitsundays near Hamilton Island on Wednesday afternoon.
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“The debris field is consistent with a catastrophic, high impact,” ADF Chief of Joint Operations Greg Bilton said on Thursday.
“Sadly I can confirm unidentified human remains have also been observed in this location.”
The deaths of the occupants — Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs — were announced on Tuesday after authorities ruled there was no hope they would be found alive.
They had been flying in the Taipan as part of the Talisman Sabre military training exercise.
The remains will not be able to be formally identified until more of the wreckage is found, Bilton said.
He said poor weather in the region is expected to continue to hamper the recovery efforts.
“The conditions have been quite difficult, both under the water and above the surface,” Bilton said.
“The Whitsundays is renowned for significant current so the team are working through those.
“As you can see, we are making progress but it is methodical.”
The black box flight recorder has not yet been recovered.
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