TOKYO - Several bodies have been found in the wreckage of two Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) patrol helicopters salvaged from the Pacific Ocean, after the aircraft fatally collided in April 2024, local media reported.
ALSO READ: 1 dead, 7 missing after 2 Japan Self-Defense Forces helicopters crash
The MSDF retrieved the two SH-60K helicopters from the seabed at a depth of approximately 5,500 meters, with one helicopter salvaged late Tuesday and the other early Wednesday, Kyodo News reported.
The MSDF is working to identify the bodies, the report said.
Only one body had been recovered prior to the salvage operation.
READ MORE: Japan to begin deep-sea search for crashed MSDF helicopters in July
On April 20 last year, the two choppers, each carrying four MSDF members, collided and crashed during a nighttime drill off the Izu Islands, about 600 km south of Tokyo, killing one crew member and leaving seven missing.
In June 2024, the MSDF declared the seven missing crewmen dead.
