A Royal Navy crew member died during an exercise.

A Royal Navy soldier was killed on Wednesday evening during an exercise in the English Channel.

The Navy said the Merlin Mk4 helicopter sank during a night flying exercise with the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth off Dorset.

A Royal Navy spokesman said there were no other fatalities or serious injuries.

Defense Secretary John Healey said an investigation into the accident had begun.

There were three people on board the Merlin Mk4 aircraft that made an emergency landing on water on Wednesday.

Two people were rescued and taken to hospital. They are not believed to have suffered serious injuries.

The third crew member who died in the incident was based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset, the BBC reported.

Another Merlin helicopter was in the air at the time.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic death of a member of the Royal Navy”.

During a visit to the destroyer HMS Diamond in Portsmouth, Mr Healey told the BBC: “Today is a day when we should mourn the loss of a valued sailor and think of his family, friends and colleagues.

“For anyone involved with the armed forces, this is news that people are afraid of.”

First Sea Lord Ben Key said he was “deeply saddened”.

HMS Queen Elizabeth, which also took part in the night flying exercise, is known to still be operating at sea.

The Mk4 is considered one of the advanced amphibious helicopters on the battlefield. It can carry up to 24 soldiers and is powered by three engines.

Where did the incident occur?

The Ministry of Defence did not provide the exact location where the helicopter went into the water during the exercise with HMS Queen Elizabeth, but confirmed it happened in the English Channel off the coast of Dorset.

Satellite images show the carrier was about 20 miles (30 km) south of the seaside town of Lyme Regis in Dorset at around noon on Wednesday.

Maritime tracking websites suggest that a second British aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is in the Mediterranean Sea near Gibraltar, so it is likely that the ship in the canal is the Queen Elizabeth.

What is Merlin Mk4?

The Mk4, or Mark 4, used by the Royal Marines, has been deployed around the world. It is a variant of the Merlin helicopter developed between the UK and Italy.

According to the Royal Navy, it is the “world’s most advanced assault helicopter.” It can carry up to 24 troops.

According to Navy Lookout, the last Merlin helicopter accident occurred in Afghanistan in 2010.

The plane, then used by the Royal Air Force, made a heavy landing at Camp Bastion, a former British Army air base in Helmand Province. No one was killed.