KOYO MARU

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Crashed helicppter raised near Ibaru island

On May 2, 2023, the 'Koyo Maru' recovered wreckage believed to be the Ground Self-Defense Force GSDF UH-60JA multi-purpose helicopter, that went missing on April 6 carrying Lt. Gen. Yuichi Sakamoto and other senior personnel, which took off from the Miyakojima Sub Base at 3:46 p.m. and disappeared near Miyako Island in the Okinawa Prefecture 10 minutes later. The wreckage was lifted from the seabed about six kilometers north of Irabu Island at a depth of about 106 meters. It was wrapped in a wire net when recovered in order to prevent parts from being scattered, and was to be transported to a GSDF base to investigate the cause of the accident. The 'Koyo Maru' launched efforts to recover the wreckage from the seabed using a large net on April 28. On May 2 at around 11:45 a.m., the wreckage emerged from the surface of the water. Six bodies have been recovered so far and the identities of five have been confirmed. The search for the remaining four was ongoing. Reports with photos: https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20230502-107119/ https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2023050200220/gsdf-chopper-salvaged-1-month-after-crash-off-okinawa.html