News Brief - 16 Missing Following Helicopter Crash

Earlier this morning, a helicopter ferrying workers to the White Rose offshore oilfield crashed 47 nautical miles southeast of St. John's in waters just above freezing, according to the Rescue Co-ordination Center in Halifax. The helicopter regularly transports people between St. John's and the Hibernia platform.

Eighteen people were on board and thus far one, Robert Decker, was recovered alive after issuing a mayday and an alert about technical problems at about 7:48 a.m. A Hercules aircraft, two Cormorant rescue helicopters, and two surface ships are actively searching the site. Two empty life-rafts have been found and there is now one confirmed dead.