Exclusive to BNT: Helicopter Crew from Krumovo Air Base Talks About the Search-and-Rescue Mission in the Black Sea Following Drone Attacks

The crew of a helicopter from Krumovo Air Base has given an exclusive account of the search and rescue mission in the Black Sea. The military aircrew were the first to survey the area following the drone attacks that sank a merchant vessel and its crew, while another vessel sustained significant material damage and two people were injured by a fire on board.

A search and rescue mission in open sea, racing against time to make use of every opportunity to help sailors in distress. This was the task facing the crews of the two helicopters from Krumovo Air Base as they flew 70 nautical miles out to sea to search for survivors among the floating debris of one sunken vessel and another vessel in distress with serious damage. For an hour and a half, the Cougar helicopters, carrying rescuers, flight engineers and pilots, flew at low altitude over the sea surface in an attempt to locate survivors. Despite the favourable weather conditions, intense concentration and constant coordination, only floating debris from the sunken vessel was found in the area of the incident.

The airborne mission began in the early hours following the incident. In coordination with the Bulgarian Navy and using coordinates provided by Bezmer Air Base, the helicopters took to the skies over Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.

Lieutenant Colonel Plamen Donchev, Deputy Commander of the 24th Air Base, Krumovo: “We headed towards the area and, from a relatively long distance, perhaps more than 15 nautical miles, we spotted the vessel in distress. As we approached the vessel, we came across the wreckage of the sunken vessel.”

The crews flew low over the search area in the hope of finding survivors. The helicopters are also equipped with specialised rescue equipment.

Major Svetlozar Aleksandrov, Head of the Search and Rescue Section, 24th Air Base, Krumovo: “This includes a rescue belt, a rescue stretcher and a rescue basket. They are designed for operations over water.”

For an hour and a half, the crews worked in tandem over the sea surface. Flight parameters aboard one of the Cougar helicopters were monitored by flight engineer Plamen Mitsev.

Captain Plamen Mitsev, Deputy Commander for Operational Training of Aviation Equipment, 24th Air Base, Krumovo: “So that we can maintain visual contact with the water surface and make sure whether there is anyone in distress below, whether we can carry out a rescue operation, and all the other things that are specific to the situation and the task we were given.”

Although they were unable to find any survivors from the sunken vessel, the crew members regard the mission as a duty fulfilled.

Major Svetlozar Aleksandrov, Head of the Search and Rescue Section, 24th Air Base, Krumovo: “We watched every single object so that, if there was any chance – a person, a body – we could find it.”

Lieutenant Colonel Plamen Donchev, Deputy Commander of the 24th Air Base, Krumovo: “For us, it is an accumulation of experience, but for the people who were there, it is a tragedy, unfortunately.”

Even after the rescue operation at sea, the crew remains on standby to take to the air again, ready to assist people in distress and protect the country’s sovereignty.