Some 11 days after the aircraft in which he was travelling went down, it is being reported that the body of Rescue 116 pilot Mark Duffy has been found.
He was discovered in the cockpit of the Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S92 helicopter, states Mirror.ie and Journal.ie.
The location of the other two crew members, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith, remains unknown. It is still hoped that they might be elsewhere in the wreckage.
RTE News says gardai have confirmed that a body of one of the crew members has been located and that attempts are being made to bring him to surface as a matter of urgency. Rescue conditions in the area remain challenging.
Independent.ie also quotes Garda Supt Tony Healy as saying: “I can confirm that we found the body of a crew member in the cockpit section of the aircraft on the seabed. Operations will continue over night.”
The aircraft’s black box has already been recovered.
Investigations currently indicate that on February 13 the tail section of the helicopter mistakingly made contact with Blackrock in Co Mayo before descending into the sea.
Captain Dara Fitzpatrick was recovered from the water shortly after the tragedy and was later pronounced dead. Her funeral was held a week ago.
