WILLEMSTAD - The bodies of the two fatalities from the helicopter crash on Sunday were taken to Curaçao. It concerns two soldiers.
Their bodies were taken by the patrol vessel Zr.Ms. Groningen and transferred to the island. Due to the investigation, it is still unclear when the remains can be transported to the Netherlands.
The helicopter crashed near Aruba on Sunday with four soldiers on board. Two of them did not survive the crash. It was pilot Christine Martens and tactical coordinator Erwin Warnies. The other two passengers managed to get themselves to safety, says the defense.
The NH-90 helicopter crashed into the sea. The helicopter sank last night. This happened after two of the four floating devices snapped, which initially kept the aircraft above water.
According to the defense, attempts were made to keep the aircraft afloat, so that more research could be done, but that was not possible due to the rough sea and strong wind. The wreck is located more than 100 kilometers west of Aruba, at a kilometer depth.
Today members of the Defense Security Inspectorate and the Dutch Safety Board will leave for Curaçao. They will try to find out how the crash could have happened. Investigators from the Royal Marchaussee are also included.