Coastguard loses rescue helicopter

The Wessex is being taken out of service

The coastguard has expressed concern at the loss of an RAF helicopter used in search and rescue operations in Northern Ireland.

The Wessex aircraft, based at Aldergrove Airport outside Belfast, will not be replaced when it is taken out of service next year.

Helicopters are supposed to be at the scene of an accident within an hour of a 999 call.

But parts of the province, including Lough Erne and Lough Foyle, will be left outside that recommended time, once the Wessex is removed.

Coastguard district controller Brett Cunningham said the helicopter currently provided an invaluable service.

The winch facility on the Wessex is important

"What we are specifically losing is a winching facility where the helicopter can evacuate someone from a hostile environment," he said.

"That's when the helicopter hovers above the person being rescued and winches them up."

He said that helicopters would be used in maritime rescues or in forest fires.

The Wessex can carry 12 fully equipped soldiers or 3,500 pounds of freight.

It equips squadrons in the United Kingdom and Cyprus.

An RAF spokeswoman said helicopters in Wales and Scotland would provide cover for Northern Ireland.

However, the coastguard believes the longer it takes to get to the province, the greater the risk to people caught up in a search operation or accident.