Loiret: A gendarmerie helicopter crashes during a search mission, one soldier killed

A French National Gendarmerie helicopter crashed Sunday afternoon in the Loiret region while participating in a search and rescue mission for a missing person. The accident occurred in the Orléans forest area, near Sully-sur-Loire. Three gendarmes were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.

According to authorities, the accident resulted in one death and two serious injuries. The deceased soldier was Warrant Officer Dorian Larigaudrie, assigned to the gendarmerie brigade in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire. The pilot and the mechanic were airlifted in critical condition to the University Hospital of Orléans, both conscious upon arrival.

A search mission interrupted by tragedy

The aircraft was participating in a search operation for a teenager who had been missing since the previous day. According to several local media outlets, the helicopter had been flying over the area for several hours before the crash. The missing youth was eventually found safe and sound.

The exact circumstances of the crash remain unknown at this stage. The accident occurred in a forested area that was difficult to access, requiring a rapid response from significant rescue resources. Authorities have secured the perimeter to allow investigators and technicians to work on analyzing the causes of the tragedy.

An investigation has been launched to determine the causes of the crash.

A judicial inquiry has been opened to establish the precise circumstances of the accident. The investigation will notably seek to determine whether technical, meteorological, or operational factors may have played a role in the aircraft's crash.

In total, nearly fifty firefighters, several dozen gendarmes, a SAMU helicopter, and a reconnaissance drone were mobilized. A medical and psychological emergency unit was also set up to support the family of the deceased soldier and his colleagues, who were deeply affected by this tragedy that occurred while he was on a public service mission.