Three Royal Navy crew members dead after helicopter crash

The Royal Navy has confirmed that three of its members have died during a helicopter crash on Wednesday morning. In the early hours of the morning, before 4am, on Wednesday, June 3, a training exercise ended in tragedy near Sourton, Devon, claiming the lives of three people. Investigations are underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash. Tributes have been paid to the three members of the Royal Navy as it sends its "thoughts and deepest condolences" to the families of the those who have died. The Royal Navy stated: "We are incredibly sad to report that three members of the Royal Navy have died during a helicopter training exercise near Sourton, Devon, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3. "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives. Emergency services responded swiftly to the incident and an investigation is now underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash. All three families have been informed and are receiving specialist support from the Royal Navy." Locals in the area reported hearing "loud bangs" and seeing an "almighty flash of red" around 3am Wednesday morning. The head of the Navy also released a statement saying that he is "deeply saddened" by the incident. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said: "I am deeply saddened to share the news that three crewmembers onboard a Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 helicopter have died after it crashed in the early hours of this morning near Sourton, Devon. "I know this will come as a huge shock to all in our Naval community, and my deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and loved ones impacted by this tragedy. "I would like to thank Devon and Cornwall Police and the search and rescue teams who responded to the incident this morning." The Royal Family have also spoken out on the incident with the Princess of Wales saying: "William and I hold their families and friends in our hearts at this very difficult time." It is understood that the King will write to the families of the three service personnel. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice