Departed Shipmates

[Viv]

Nine Australians die in Navy helicopter


Tragedy has struck Australia's relief effort on Nias, with a Navy helicopter crashing, killing nine personnel on board.
The chopper crashed Saturday afternoon while on approach to Amandraya village on the remote west coast of Nias.

The Sea King helicopter had been ferrying an emergency medical team from the Kanimbla to the village as part of relief efforts to outlying areas of Nias following a devastating earthquake on Monday.
The helicopter crashed on approach to land, Kanimbla captain Commander George McGuire told journalists who had been on board the Kanimbla for a media tour.
He said two on board the helicopter survived and were airlifted to the Kanimbla for emergency surgery by the ship's second helicopter, which landed with a medical team after seeing smoke from the crash site.
"They are in a serious condition with leg fractures and other injuries," Cmdr McGuire said.
"We believe the rest of the personnel died."
On board the chopper were five naval personnel as well as three from the Air Force and one member of the Army.
Seven of the dead were male and two were female.
The Kanimbla immediately scrambled its second helicopter to inspect the crash zone for a second time after Indonesian military authorities in the area suggested the other nine passengers on board may have survived.
But an hour later the 300 ship's crew members were informed that all nine had been killed, their bodies found in the wreckage by a team of paramedics and rescue personnel.
Cmdr McGuire immediately dispatched the Kanimbla to the rescue site and it was steaming around the southern tip of Nias to take up station near a river leading to the village where the chopper crashed.
"That location is a very remote location," he said, adding that the trip would take about six hours to steam to the site where the chopper, callsign "Shark 02", went down.
Shattered staff on the Kanimbla cried and bowed their heads in shock in the ship's mess room when Cmdr McGuire broke the news that no other survivors had been found.
In the ship's cavernous hold, which had been converted into an emergency hospital ward, about 20 military doctors were caring for the two wounded crew members, conducting on-the-spot X-rays in preparation for surgery.
The Navy confirmed that all nine personnel killed in the crash were Australians.
Both pilots were killed and the two survivors were both male.
One had fractures and the other was believed to be in a very critical condition.
The Navy confirmed that those killed were the five naval personnel, three from the Air Force and one Army member.
Journalists on board the Kanimbla were barred from reporting news of the crash until all family members had been informed and the second helicopter on board Kanimbla had confirmed no more survivors.
The Kanimbla had only just reached the area on Saturday morning after steaming from Singapore, where crew had been enjoying shore leave after a three-month posting to Aceh.
The rescue mission was the second of the day and both helicopters earlier had returned from Peruk Dalam, on the south of the island, where they had airlifted four Indonesians to the ship for emergency care.
The Kanimbla has a fully equipped operating theatre with two doctors and two anaesthetists who had been operating through the afternoon and night and were fighting to save the life of their critically injured crewmate.
RIP Shipmates
Australia Will remember You All

[BC]

It brings to reality just how dangerous our duties are being members of the military. We tend to take our safety for granted because of all the training we did and the high adventure of it all.

They served their country well did their families and country proud.

RIP

[Deskjockey]

A very sad day indeed.

My thoughts go out to the families and shipmates of these very brave people.

RIP

[Hippy Chippy]

A truly sad day for all three of our Defence Forces, and the families of those killed, not in some enemy action, but whilst providing humanitarian assistance to those who are unable to help themselves.

This most recent sacrifice of our willing military youth only sticks in my craw because, despite any appreciation from the desperate local recipients on the ground, Australia is still resented for our perceived 'interference' by many in the Indonesian hierarchy…

I’d like to think that the loss of five NAVY, three AIRFORCE and one ARMY personnel in the course of carrying out their duties, assisting the unfortunate survivors of the recent earthquake in Nias, would have a lasting impact on the attitude of our neighbours, that their sacrifice would mean something, but I won’t hold my breath…

My thoughts go out to their families, may those who perished rest in peace… and may Indonesia start appreciating our assistance...

[tafmo]

Concur wholeheartedly Rick. A very sad day for the military and for Australia.

What's even worse than the views of 'interference' by the Indonesian hierarchy, are the views of 'interference' by ferals within our own country. Too bad we couldn't swap some of them for the servicemen and women who tragically lost their lives in this accident.

[BC]

Too true Tafmo.

Concur with your comments as well Rick.

[bobcat]

I’d like to think that the loss of five NAVY, three AIRFORCE and one ARMY personnel ...

Correction there ... it has now been confirmed that it is six Navy personnel and three RAAF only - nil Army. The two survivors are one Navy and one RAAF.

If anyone watched "Enough Rope" with Andrew Denton some months ago, he had a Navy pilot on there who had just returned from Iraq. Sadly, he was the pilot of this Sea King that crashed; a young life taken.

A very sad day for Navy and RAAF indeed. My heart goes out to their families who were expecting them all home earlier, but duty called and they answered.

Rest your oars ... one and all of you. You are a credit to your Service.

Bobcat

[bobcat]

UNCLASSIFIED
FROM: CN AUSTRALIA
DTG: 022358Z APR 05

SUBJ: ACCIDENT INVOLVING HMAS KANIMBLAS SEA KING - NIAS ISLAND
1. IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I MUST INFORM YOU THAT AT APPROX 1930K LAST NIGHT WE LOST 6 OF OUR OWN WHEN A SEAKING EMBARKED IN HMAS KANIMBLA CRASHED ON THE ISLAND OF NIAS, INDONESIA. 3 MEMBERS OF THE RAAF ARE ALSO MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD.
2. ONE SAILOR AND ONE AIRMAN WERE FORTUNATE TO SURVIVE THE INCIDENT AND ARE BEING TREATED BY THE MEDICAL TEAM ONBOARD KANIMBLA.
3. THE HELICOPTER WAS CONDUCTING A SORTIE IN SUPPORT OF OP SUMATRA ASSIST II, INSERTING A MEDICAL PARTY TO CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT OF THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE.
4. IT IS TOO EARLY TO KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN FLYING FOR A NUMBER OF HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS, THE TERRAIN WAS FLAT AND THE WEATHER WAS FINE. AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TEAM IS BEING DEPLOYED TO INVESTIGATE WHY THIS HAPPENED.
5. HMAS KANIMBLA WILL REMAIN IN THE AO TO CONTINUE WITH ITS IMPORTANT MISSION PROVIDING MEDICAL AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE. HER ABILITY TO MOVE STORES AND INJURED PEOPLE IS SLIGHTLY DIMINISHED BUT SHE HAS A FULL SURGICAL CAPABILITY AND A SECOND HELICOPTER TO SUPPORT FORCES ASHORE.
6. I SHARE THE GRIEF OF THE NOK AND MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH THEM, THE SHIPS COMPANY OF HMAS KANIMBLA, THE NAVAL AVIATION AND MEDICAL COMMUNITIES. I ALSO EXTEND MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE RAAF.
7. REQUEST THIS MESSAGE RECEIVE WIDEST POSSIBLE DISSEMINATION.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNCLASSIFIED
FROM: CN AUSTRALIA
DTG: 030730Z APR 05

017 ALL SHIP 017 ALL SHORE 016 ALL OVERSEAS
AUSTCOM KUALA LUMPUR, WELLINGTON, HONIARA, SINGAPORE, AUSTCOM
SUVA, AUSTEMB SEOUL (FOR DEFENCE ADVISER), AUSTEMB BERLIN, MANILA,
PARIS EMB, TOKYO, ROME, BANGKOK, PHNOM PENH (FOR DEFENCE
ATTACHE), AUSTCOM LONDON (FOR HADS), AUSTCOM PORT MORESBY (FOR HADS
PNG), AUSTEMB JAKARTA (FOR NAVAL ATTACHE), AUSTCOM NUKU ALOFA, APIA,
PORT VILA (FOR RAN ADVISER), AUSTEMB POHNPEI (FOR MSA/FMS/MSA RMI)

SUBJ: ACCIDENT INVOLVING HMAS KANIMBLA SEA KING - RAN CASUALTIES
A. CN AUSTRALIA I2U 022358Z APR 05
1. TODAY I INFORMED THE NAVY OF THE FATAL CRASH OF A SEA KING
(SHARK 02) IN NIAS, INDONESIA. THE FOLLOWING NAVY PERSONNEL
WERE KILLED IN THIS INCIDENT DURING HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
OPERATIONS ON 2 APRIL 2005.

LEUT PAUL JOHN KIMLIN RAN M8099712
LEUT JONATHAN CURLEWIS KING RAN M8100452
LEUT MATTHEW PHILLIP GOODALL RAN M8109719
LEUT MATTHEW PETER DAVEY RANR M8266975
POMED STEPHEN SLATTERY M8082197
LSA SCOTT BENNETT M8092230

2. I WISH LSCIS SHANE WARBURTON A SPEEDY RECOVERY FROM HIS
INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE ACCIDENT.
3. ON BEHALF OF THE RAN, I AGAIN EXTEND MY HEARTFELT
CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND SHIPMATES OF THE
DECEASED.

Bobcat

[phred]

My thoughts also go to the family and friends of those lost in the helo acident.

[Hippy Chippy]

THEIR SACRIFICE OUR PRIDE LEST WE FORGET



This photo of our Sea King Helo Squadron, sent to me by Peter Maher,
shows the ill fated Sea King "Shark 02" at the top of the pack...

Closest to the Almighty I reckon...