January 27, 2020 - We already reported on the military helicopter crash that happened today near Zlarin, when a Kiowa helicopter crashed into the Adriatic sea midflight. Tonight we bring you the latest updates.
The Ministry of Defence reported the identities of the officers that were onboard the Kiowa Warrior OH-58Darrior OH-58D helicopter when it crashed near Zablaće on Monday.
Major Marin Klarin, a pilot in the Croatian Air Force, is confirmed to have died in the accident. The search is still ongoing for the other officer on board the helicopter, First Lieutenant Tomislav Baturina. Damir Krstičević, the Minister of Defence, Mirko Šundov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, and the commander of the Croatian Air Force, Michael Križanec, visited the families of the pilots involved in the crash and expressed their condolences to the Klarin family.
The Kiowa helicopter wreck is now on the seabed, at a depth of thirty metres. Divers have been searching for the First Lieutenant throughout the entire afternoon, and the search and rescue operation will continue tomorrow.
At a press conference, it was explained that nothing seemed odd during the training flight before the Kiowa crashed. Fishermen immediately managed to get to Major Klarin's body after the helicopter crash, but they weren't able to revive him.
The entire squadron of Kiowa helicopters has been grounded until the cause of the accident has been determined, although it was also said at the conference that the helicopter that crashed was among the newest in the squadron and was fully operational.
