A member of the Royal Navy has died after a helicopter ditched while conducting night-flying exercises with HMS Queen Elizabeth.
In a statement the Navy said: “It is with great sadness that we must report a member of the Royal Navy has died following a training incident last night.
“Our thoughts are with the family – who have been informed, and all those affected at this sad time. A full investigation will take place.”
It said the incident involved a Merlin Mk4 helicopter in the Channel near Dorset.
No other deaths or serious injuries were reported.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of a member of the Royal Navy.
“My thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this painful time.”
In a post on X, he paid tribute to HMS Queen Elizabeth ship’s company, “particularly those involved in the search and rescue operation”.
Defence Secretary John Healey has described the news of the death of a Royal Navy member of personnel as “dreadful”.
During a visit to HMS Diamond in Portsmouth, he said: “Dreadful news. Truly dreadful news”.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
“All my thoughts and the thoughts of those in the wider navy I’ve been with today are with the family, the friends and the close colleagues of the one we’ve lost today.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.