Five bodies found off Okinawa in search for missing Japanese helicopter

TOKYO -- Five bodies were found Sunday following a deep-sea dive in search of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) helicopter that went missing off the southern prefecture of Okinawa, local media reported.

On the ocean floor at a depth of 106 meters off the southern prefecture of Okinawa, the bodies were found by divers around 8:30 am local time six kilometers north of Irabu Island, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported, citing GSDF.

On April 6, the UH-60JA multipurpose chopper disappeared from radar about 18 km northwest of an airport in Okinawa's Miyakojima Island, and was believed to have been caught up in an aircraft accident.

All 10 GSDF members on board went missing, including Lieutenant General Yuichi Sakamoto, commander of the GSDF's 8th Division in charge of the defense of southwestern Japan.

The discovery came after a deep-sea search made through saturation diving, a technique that allows divers to work at great depths for long periods, and whether the bodies are those of the personnel aboard the UH-60JA helicopter remained unconfirmed, according to the Kyodo report.

The GSDF has confirmed that the major part of the chopper was earlier discovered under the sea.

Efforts will be stepped up in the salvage work, the GSDF added.